China-India border situation 'overall stable, controllable'

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday the situation in China-India border areas is overall stable and controllable.

"We believe that guided by the important consensus reached between the two leaders, China and India can properly deal with the current situation, jointly uphold peace and stability in the border areas, and ensure a sound and steady development of bilateral relations," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing.

Regarding what happened at the west section of the China-India boundary, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expounded China's stern position during his phone conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Zhao said.

The whole thing happened because India's frontline troops, in violation of the agreement reached at the Commander-level meeting, once again crossed the Line of Actual Control for deliberate provocation, and even violently attacked the Chinese officers and soldiers who went to the terrain for negotiation, thus triggering fierce physical conflicts and causing casualties, Zhao said.

Since the incident happened, China and India have made contacts and coordination through diplomatic and military channels, he said.

The two sides agreed to handle in a just manner the serious situation caused by the clash, observe the agreement reached during the Commander-level meeting, cool down the situation on the ground as soon as possible, and uphold peace and tranquility of the border areas, he said.