MEA says Chinese patrolling deviations disrupt border amid PLA face-off in Arunachal

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said the situation along the India-China border gets disturbed when Chinese forces deviate from established patrolling patterns, stressing that maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.

The clarification came amid a political row over reported remarks by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapoor about continuing face-offs with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Arunachal Pradesh. The Congress has questioned the government's handling of the situation and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address Parliament on the issue.

At a regular media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that questions about the specific developments should be directed to the Ministry of Defence. He added that India and China continued to rely on established diplomatic and military channels to resolve outstanding issues and prevent misunderstandings along the LAC.

"Insofar as the specifics are concerned, I would refer you to the Ministry of Defence. As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns. Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the Line of Actual Control," Jaiswal said.

"The two sides have also agreed to discuss ways to improve understanding of LAC in appropriate areas for better border management. I would also like to emphasise that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations," he added.

Kharge Questions Government Over Reported Face-Offs In Arunachal

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the reported continuing face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh as deeply alarming and sought answers from the Prime Minister over the situation along the border.

Referring to the Doklam and Galwan episodes, Kharge questioned whether another serious confrontation was unfolding. He also cited reports of Chinese incursions near Taksing in August and raised concerns about continued confrontations despite Corps Commander-level talks at Wacha–Damai.

"The ITBP DG's confirmation of continuing PLA face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh is deeply alarming. After Doklam and Galwan, is another serious confrontation unfolding? Reports of Chinese incursions near Taksing emerged in August. Yet, even 47 days after Corps Commander-level talks at Wacha–Damai, reportedly just 180 km away, confrontations continue. Has India's patrolling access been compromised? Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India. Why is the nation being kept in the dark?" Kharge said.

The Congress chief also questioned the outcome of repeated diplomatic engagements between India and China, citing at least 23 reported meetings and interactions between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, 25 rounds of Special Representatives' talks involving National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, 36 meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), and discussions at successive SCO and BRICS summits.

"What tangible results have these engagements delivered? Have India's pre-May 2020 patrolling rights been fully restored? Our Armed Forces have our complete confidence. But national security demands accountability, not diplomatic photo opportunities and Hugplomacy! Instead of attacking the Opposition, PM Modi must take Parliament and the Nation into confidence," Kharge said.

He called on the Prime Minister to address Parliament and explain the government's position on the reported border developments.

India, China Agree To Address Border Issues Through Existing Channels

The MEA's remarks come as India and China continue diplomatic efforts to manage tensions along the LAC and prevent further misunderstandings.

On August 25, the two countries held the 25th round of talks between their Special Representatives on the boundary question in Beijing. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to follow the guidance of their respective leaders, maintain peace and tranquillity along the border and create conditions for the steady development of bilateral relations.

They also reiterated their commitment to negotiations on a framework for settling the boundary question in line with the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question.

The two sides agreed to pursue a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution and address ground-level situations promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels. These include the WMCC, local commander-level meetings and other agreed mechanisms aimed at resolving outstanding issues and avoiding misunderstandings or miscalculations along the LAC.

MEA Reiterates India's Position On Ladakh

Separately, the MEA last week reiterated that the Union Territory of Ladakh is an "integral and inalienable part of India", stating that no denial by China could change this established fact.

The statement followed objections by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on October 13 to India's decision to identify 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh using standard names on the official Survey of India map. Beijing described the move as "illegal and void".

The MEA referred to a Ministry of Home Affairs announcement stating that the locations had been identified in consultation with the Ladakh administration and local stakeholders. The exercise aims to ensure accurate recognition of the places and improve public awareness of their geographical locations.

Earlier this month, the Centre announced the identification of the 28 places and features on the official map.

Jaishankar Says Border Situation Will Shape Future Of India-China Ties

In September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said relations between India and China had improved from the lows reached during the prolonged border stand-off, but cautioned that the situation along the frontier would remain a key factor in determining the extent to which ties could be normalised.

During his visit to New York, Jaishankar said bilateral relations were in a better position than in 2025 and had improved further compared with 2024. However, he warned against viewing the recovery as a fundamental shift in the relationship.

"I don't think it's structural change so much as a recovery from how far ties had deteriorated," he said.

The 2020 border developments and the prolonged stand-off had severely affected normal contact between the two countries. While trade continued, official exchanges, visa services and flights were disrupted. As tensions eased, some of these contacts gradually resumed.

Jaishankar described the improvement as a result of stabilisation rather than proof that the underlying differences had been resolved.

"A dip in our relationship actually doesn't help either of us," he said, adding that third parties could benefit from strained ties between the two countries.

In September, Modi met Xi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The two leaders stressed that "differences should not become disputes" and reaffirmed the need to take a strategic and long-term view of bilateral relations.

During the meeting, Modi underlined that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remained essential for the continued development of ties between India and China.

(With agencies' inputs)