PLA responds after shots fired at border area

India urged to stop dangerous actions, pull back troops that have trespassed

The Chinese military was "forced to take countermeasures" to maintain stability on the border with India after Indian troops trespassed at the southern end of Pangong Tso Lake on Monday and fired warning shots at Chinese border patrols, Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesman for the People's Liberation Army Western Theater Command, said on Tuesday.

It was the second time that Indian troops had violated the Chinese border in eastern Ladakh in China's Tibet autonomous region in the past two weeks.

In Monday's incident, the PLA personnel were about to negotiate with the Indian side when they were fired upon by Indian soldiers, Zhang said in a statement.

Zhang called the shots a serious violation of relevant agreements between the two countries and a "serious military provocation" that had escalated tension and could easily lead to misunderstandings.

The two sides had previously agreed not to use firearms at the border. They were the first shots reported to have been fired there in 45 years.

As a result, the Chinese border troops "were forced to take necessary countermeasures to get the situation under control", he said.

He urged the Indian side to immediately stop its dangerous actions, pull back troops that had entered Chinese territory, strictly restrain the behavior of its front-line servicemen and seriously investigate and punish those who fired on the Chinese soldiers to ensure similar incidents do not occur again.

The PLA Western Theater Command will uphold its duty and mission to staunchly safeguard national sovereignty, Zhang said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular news briefing on Tuesday that China has lodged solemn representations to India both through diplomatic and military channels.

"China always emphasizes that both sides should peacefully settle their differences through dialogue and consultation, and confrontation won't benefit either side," he told reporters in Beijing, adding that he hopes the two sides can reach consensus on disengagement as soon as possible.

The incident came three days after the two countries' defense ministers met in Moscow and agreed to deescalate the border situation.

During their meeting, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe stressed that China cannot lose one inch of its territory and that Chinese troops are completely determined, able and ready to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.