“We have never accepted such illegal occupation of our territory, nor have we accepted the unjustified Chinese claim or such construction activities,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi 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," top American lawmaker said. (File Photo: AFP)
India, on Friday, reacted sharply to reports about China constructing a bridge on Pangong Tso Lake alongside its earlier bridge, saying both these bridges were in areas that have continued to be under the illegal occupation of China since the 1960s.
“We have never accepted such illegal occupation of our territory, nor have we accepted the unjustified Chinese claim or such construction activities. We have made it clear on several occasions that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and we expect other countries to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in response to media queries.
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He pointed out that in order to ensure the nation’s security, the government has stepped up the development of border infrastructure, especially since 2014, including the construction of roads, bridges, etc.
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”(The) government remains committed to the objective of creating infrastructure along the border areas to not only meet India’s strategic and security requirements but also facilitate the economic development of these areas. And of course, the government keeps a constant watch on all developments that have a bearing on India’s security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the spokesperson added.
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