Zhao Lijian’s Regular Press Conference
The Paper: According to reports, Indian army sources said on June 22 that an 11-hour long meeting at the level of corps commanders was held between India and China. The two sides exchanged views on the current situation in the border area. Can you confirm and offer more information?
Zhao Lijian: On June 22, Chinese and Indian border troops held a second round of commander-level talks in the border area. This is also the first such meeting after the Galwan Valley incident on June 15. The holding of the talks shows that both sides hope to properly handle differences and manage and ease the situation through dialogue and consultation. During the talks, the two sides, on the basis of the first commander-level talks, had an in-depth and candid exchange of views on outstanding issues in border management and control and agreed to take necessary measures to lower the temperature. Both agreed to keep up dialogue and work together for peace and tranquility on the ground along the border.
Reuters: The Indian Army said that both sides agreed to disengage the troops in the disputed areas. Can you confirm that?
Zhao Lijian: The relevant measures are coordinated and arranged by the border troops of the two countries on the ground. I have no further information to release.
BBC: We’ve been hoping at some time to get the number of Chinese troops who might have been killed or injured in the incident. Do you have that information available yet?
Zhao Lijian: As I said yesterday, China and India are resolving the issue on the ground through military and diplomatic channels. As for Indian media reports that cite Indian officials as saying at least 40 Chinese soldiers were killed, I can tell you responsibly that this is false information.
Source: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian’s Regular Press Conference on June 23, 2020
