BILATERAL talks continue between India & China to resolve LAC flare-up, nation’s interest is the priority , says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday, May 30   that the government will not allow India’s pride to be hurt under any circumstances disclosing that bilateral talks continued at military and diplomatic levels to resolve the row in Ladakh. Speaking to Aajtak TV, amidst reports that  Indian and Chinese troops remain engaged in a tense border standoff, Rajnath Singh said that he conveyed to his US counterpart Mark T Esper during a telephonic conversation on Friday that India and China have existing mechanisms to resolve “problems” through talks at diplomatic and military levels.US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was “ready, willing and able to mediate” between the two countries. He reiterated the offer on Thursday as well. The Ministry of External Affairs indirectly rejected the offer two days ago, but Singh became the first central minister to speak on India’s position on the issue with clarity. “I spoke to the US Defence Secretary yesterday. I told him that we have developed a mechanism already under which any problem between India and China are resolved through military and diplomatic dialogue.” Singh said. He was replying to a question whether India ruled out any third-party mediation in resolving the border row with China. The defence minister said efforts are on to resolve the border row in eastern Ladakh. “I want to assure the country that we will not allow India’s pride to be hurt under any circumstances. India has been following a clear policy of maintaining good relationship with neighbouring countries and it is not a new approach; We have been following it for long. At times, the situation arises with China. It has happened before,” he said. Singh noted that China has also said that it wants to resolve the border issue through diplomatic dialogue. “It has been India’s efforts to ensure that the tension does not escalate. It should be resolved through talks at military and diplomatic levels. Negotiations are ongoing between the two countries at the military and diplomatic levels,” he said.PTI recalls that Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in the standoff for over three weeks in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh. The trigger for the face-off was China’s stiff opposition to India laying a key road in the Finger area around the Pangong Tso Lake besides construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley. China was also laying a road in the Finger area which is not acceptable to India.