CHINA and India today blamed each other for the failure of high-level talks to ease tensions along a disputed Himalayan border between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The strategically important Galwan river valley between Tibet and the Ladakh region in India became a high-altitude flashpoint last year, after one of the deadliest troop clashes in decades.

Senior military officials from the two countries held their first round of talks in two months, but it ended without any progress.

India made “unreasonable and unrealistic demands”, said Chinese military spokesman Long Shaohua in a statement issued by the western theatre command of the People’s Liberation Army.

The statement did not say what the demands were.

In response, the Indian Defence Ministry said China was “not agreeable” to discussing “constructive suggestions… (and) could not provide any forward-looking proposals”.

It said, however, both sides have agreed to maintain communications and stability.

China and India – whose border runs for 3,500km – fought a full-scale war in 1962 and have long accused each other of trying to seize territory along their unofficial border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The latest talks focused on resolving “remaining issues” along LAC in eastern Ladakh, said the Indian Defence Ministry.

Long said China has tried to ease tensions along the boundary area, but warns India “to not misjudge the situation” and act “in good faith”.

India has blamed the tensions on what it calls unilateral moves by China to “alter the status quo”, in violation of existing bilateral agreements.

Earlier this month, the Indian army chief said China is sending a “considerable number” of troops to the border, prompting a matching deployment by New Delhi.

His comments came days after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said Indian soldiers had made illegal incursions into Chinese territory, an accusation that New Delhi denied.

Media in both countries have reported a border confrontation between Indian and Chinese last month, but neither side has confirmed it. – AFP, October 11, 2021.