US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he has informed both India and China that the United States is "ready willing and able" to mediate their "now raging border dispute". The mediation offer from Trump came hours after China said that the situation at the border with India was "overall stable and controllable".
"We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute. Thank you," the US President wrote on Twitter.
Earlier in the day, China had said that it has a good border-related mechanism to properly resolve issues through dialogue and consultation.
"Between the two countries, we have good border-related mechanisms and communication channels. We are capable of resolving the issues properly through dialogue and consultation," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.
Reacting to the issue, Chinese President Xi Jinping had Tuesday asked the military to resolutely defend the country's sovereignty and ordered it to scale up its battle preparedness. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also held a meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat to take stock of the situation at the LAC.
Tensions at LAC
Tensions between India and China at the LAC have increased over the last few weeks after Beijing reportedly objected to the construction of a road and bridge by India in the Galwan area, a flashpoint during the 1962 war.
According to sources, both India and China have sent fresh troops to sensitive locations like Demchok, Daulat Beg Oldie, and areas around the Galwan river as well as Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh. China has also erected tents on three different locations near the Galwan river that flows in sub-sector North in Ladakh.
There have also been reports of Indian soldiers being detained and their weapons snatched by Chinese forces. As per a report by NDTV, the jawans were released after a meeting of commanders from both sides. The Army, however, categorically denied any such detention of Indian soldiers by the Chinese PLA.
