Hours after the talks between the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghi, China on Saturday reacted sharply on the on-going tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The Chinese government said that India is “entirely” responsible for the border stand-off in Ladakh.

The statement by the Chinese government warned India that China would not lose “an inch of its territory” and that its forces were “determined, capable and confident” of defending “national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“Causes and truth of the current tension on the China-India border are clear, and the responsibility entirely lies with India. China cannot lose an inch of its territory, and its armed forces are fully determined, capable and confident in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said, reported NDTV.

Responding shortly to the Chinese comments, India’s Defence Ministry said China’s actions, including the “amassing of a large number of troops aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo”, were in violation of bilateral agreements.

India, while determined to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, was keen for China to work with the Indian side for complete disengagement at the earliest, it said.

“The two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest,” the ministry added.

Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh had held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on Friday night at the sidelines of the three-day SCO summit in Moscow, Russia.

The meeting between the two leaders, which is first of its kind after the stand-off at the Galwan valley, lasted for 2 hours 20 minutes.

“Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states, which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other’s interest and peaceful resolution of differences,” Rajnath Singh said at the summit.

Separate from Rajnath Singh, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said there will be no compromise on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and asserted it cannot be “business as usual” in bilateral ties unless there is peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

At the same time, he said India is open to resolving outstanding issues through dialogue.