New Delhi: The recent incident between India and Chinese soldiers on the bank of Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh was "not a skirmish", but a face-off which was resolved using bilateral mechanisms in place to defuse such situations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar revealed on Tuesday.
What began as a scuffle was quickly quelled following delegation-level talks between the two sides.
This is a recurring problem, Jaishankar admitted. "It has happened because you have deferring perceptions of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). A lot of effort has gone into mechanisms and procedures to address such situations."
India and China share a nearly 4,000-km-long border, major parts of which are disputed. Both the countries are separated by the LAC in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Asked about reports of Chinese ships around the Indian Ocean region, he said it was not a diplomatic matter, but an operational issue under the purview of the Navy.
On China's aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea, Jaishankar said India is working in conjunction with the Vietnamese.
"I think a lot of the responses to that are being handled by the Vietnamese, and that is the way it should be," he said.
"It is important for both India and China, who are rising powers, to find equilibriums because each one of them has their own expectations of themselves and of each other," Jaishankar said on the upcoming informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Jaishankar also said India saw developments in Hong Kong with great attention.
He also asserted that there was no change in India's stance on China's Belt and Road initiative which it opposes as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which India asserts is its part.
(With inputs from PTI)
