Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar being received by his Chinese counterpart General Chang Wanquan in Beijing on Monday. (PTI Photo)
Highlights
- China responds "positively" to proposal of military hotline at border
- Indo-China ties strained by border dispute
- Chinese soldiers repeatedly enter Indian territory in Ladakh
China is "positive" towards proposals to establish a military hotline with India to deal with issues along the border, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was told during a meeting in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart, state media reported.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping agreed to cool the border dispute, unresolved by a brief border war in 1962, and followed by repeated territorial disagreements which have included India protesting against incursions by Chinese soldiers in the mountains of Ladakh.
Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan "reacted positively towards setting up a military hotline with India on border security", state news agency Xinhua reported late on Monday.
Mr Chang "also suggested the two sides strengthen defence exchanges and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity of the border area", the report added.
Xinhua cited Defence Minister Parrikar as saying India is ready to work with China to maintain the stability of the border.
China lays claim to more than 35,000 square miles of Indian territory in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. India says China occupies 14,600 sq miles of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west.