After face-off in Sikkim, UN chief urges India, China to dial down border tensions

New Delhi, Jan 27: After another border face-off between India and China in North Sikkim, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for the two countries to dial down tensions through dialogue. 

 

"Only to say that we hope that, through dialogue, the tensions that may exist along the border could be dialled down," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said at a news briefing. Dujarric was responding to a question on whether the UN Secretariat or the Secretary General had any comment on the "renewed India-China border clashes".

 

 

Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a clash in the high-altitude Naku La region in North Sikkim on January 20, an incident described by the Indian Army on Monday as a "minor face-off".

 

In a statement, the Indian Army said the face-off was resolved by local commanders as per established protocols. Chinese authorities though have denied any knowledge about the incident claiming that the PLA didn't have any record of the clash.

 

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Army described the ninth round of military level talks held the day before as "positive, practical and constructive", and said it had “enhanced mutual trust and understanding”. It said in a statement that the "two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of China-India border areas".

 

"The two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops. They also agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the 10th round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation," it said.