China’s latest aggression against its disputed boundary with India reflects the provocative attitude of the communist country towards the allies and partners of the United States, President Joe Biden’s administration stated in Washington DC.
The Biden Administration also stated that the United States was “closely monitoring” the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the de facto boundary between India and China.
“We are closely monitoring the situation,” Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told journalists during a briefing at the White House on Wednesday. She was replying to a question on the skirmish between the soldiers of India and China near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on December 9.
The Indian Army personnel foiled the attempt made by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to change the status quo along the LAC at Yangtse, nearly 35 kilometers away from Tawang – a border town in Arunachal Pradesh.
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the spokesperson of the US Department of Defence, also said that the US had continued to closely watch developments along the LAC at the India-China border.
“We have seen the PRC (People’s Republic of China) continue to amass forces and build military infrastructure along the so-called LAC (with India),” Ryder told journalists during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.. “But I would defer you to India in terms of their views.”
“It does reflect though, and it's important to point out, the growing trend by the PRC to assert itself and to be provocative in areas directed towards the US allies and our partners in the Indo-Pacific (region),” said the spokesperson of the US Department of Defence. “And we will continue to remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the security of our partners. And we fully support India's ongoing efforts to de-escalate this situation.”
India has been a “major defence partner” of the US since 2016. India also joined Australia, Japan and the United States to launch the ‘Quad’ as a bulwark of the democratic nations to counter the hegemonic aspirations and expansionist moves of communist China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The incident on December 9 took place even as New Delhi and Beijing could not yet completely resolve the more-than-two-year-long military stand-off along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
“We encourage India and China to utilize existing bilateral channels to discuss disputed boundaries,” said Jean-Pierre, refraining from suggesting any role by the US in the territorial dispute between India and China. Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, had publicly offered to play the role of a mediator between India and China soon after the stand-off along the LAC in eastern Ladakh had started in April-May 2020, only to be cold-shouldered by New Delhi and rejected by Beijing.
“We’re glad to see that there has been some disengagement on the clashes at this time,” the White House spokesperson said.
Two days after the Indian Army foiled the Chinese PLA’s bid to violate the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, the local commanders had a flag meeting. The Indian Army asked the Chinese PLA to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquility along the border. New Delhi also took it up with Beijing through diplomatic channels.