New Delhi [India], May 20 (ANI): India said on Friday that the second bridge on Pangong Lake being built by China is in an area that has been under its illegal occupation since the 1960s and New Delhi has never accepted such illegal occupation of territory nor the unjustified Chinese claim or such construction activities.
Responding to media queries regarding reports of a second bridge being built by China along the bridge it had constructed earlier, a Ministry of External Affairs spokesman also said that 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.
He said India has made it clear on several occasions that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and it expects other countries to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We have seen reports of a bridge being constructed by China on Pangong Lake alongside its earlier bridge. Both these bridges are 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 and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and we expect other countries to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that to ensure that the nation’s security interests are fully protected, the government has stepped up the development of border infrastructure, especially since 2014, including the construction of roads and bridges.
“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, 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,” he said.
The actions of the Chinese Army had led to tensions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in the summer of 2020. There has been disengagement from areas along LAC following talks between the two countries but some friction points remain. (ANI)