India-China Standoff: US Foreign Affairs Panel Slams China Over Border Aggression

As India-China border tensions escalate amidst a severe military standoff, a top US Congressman — who heads the powerful House panel on Foreign affairs has slammed Chinese actions on the border and urged China to “respect norms and use diplomacy” to resolve its border issues with India.

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US Congress’ House Committee chair Eliot L Engel said, “I am extremely concerned by the ongoing Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control on the India-China border.”

“China is demonstrating once again that it is willing to bully its neighbours rather than resolve conflicts according to international law. Countries must all abide by the same set of rules so that we don’t live in a world where “might makes right,” he said.

“I strongly urge China to respect norms and use diplomacy and existing mechanisms to resolve its border questions with India.”

“We see even today increasing forces of China moved up to the north of India on the Line of Actual Control there on the Indian border. These are the kinds of actions that authoritarian regimes take and they have a real impact…” Mike Pompeo told Marc Thiessen and Danielle Pletka of AEI’s ‘What The Hell Is Going On In The World’ podcast.

Last week, US President Donald Trump offered to mediate between India and China and claimed to have talked to Indian PM Narendra Modi about the India-China border who apparently was ‘ not in a good mood’.

“They have a big conflict going with India and China. Two countries with 1.4 billion people. Two countries with very powerful militaries. And India is not happy, and probably China is not happy. But I can tell you, I did speak to Prime Minister Modi. He’s not — he’s not in a good mood about what’s going on with China,” the US President had said.

As earlier reported by the EurAsian Times, Chinese soldiers intensified control measures in the Galwan valley of Aksai Chin, a region controlled by China and claimed by India. The Chinese military helicopters were later seen flying close to the LAC.

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India also dispatched its troops along the volatile border after reports of China pitching tents and stationing soldiers near river Galwan, which was the flashpoint between Indi and China in 1962.

As per the 1993 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), “When necessary, the two sides shall jointly check and determine the segments of the (LAC) where they have different views as to its alignment”. However, the LAC is still disputed and thus the tensions around it keep flaring up.