China on Tuesday dismissed reports that Chinese troops intruded into India's disputed Arunachal Pradesh region earlier this month. This is the second time in three months that China has denied intruding into the north-eastern state, which is being claimed by both Beijing and New Delhi.

Like Us on Facebook

"The border troops of China always abide by agreements of the two sides and strictly follow the bilateral agreements concerning the LAC," said Geng Shuang, spokesman for China's foreign ministry.

Geng reiterated China's position on the border dispute. "China's position on the boundary question between India and China is consistent and clear. The boundary between the two sides is yet to be demarcated," he said.

India has demanded that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is converted into a permanent border to solve border issues in Arunachal Pradesh. However, Beijing has refused to accept New Delhi's demand.

Meanwhile, India's army has also refuted reports of Chinese incursion in the disputed state. Speaking to Indian newspaper Economic Times, a senior Indian army official said that the reported incursion was only a minor face-off between the two militaries. The face-off reportedly took place at a mutually identified disputed area near the LAC.

Chinese incursion into Arunachal Pradesh was first reported in Indian media on September 9. There were reports that nearly 45 Chinese troops set-up a temporary shelter in an area that is 45 km inside the LAC.

Arunachal Pradesh is one of the main bone of contentions between India and China. India claims that that the north-eastern state is an integral part of the country. However, China has never accepted India's sovereignty over the region. Beijing insists that Arunachal Pradesh is a part of its autonomous region of Tibet.    

Over the last few months, India has beefed up its military presence in the disputed region. In August, India announced that it had built a new airfield in Arunachal Pradesh, located barely 100 km away from the China border.  There are reports that the Indian government will deploy a ballistic missile to counter China's recent military build-up in the border region. 

Tagschina, Arunachal Pradesh, India, China and India, China and India Border Dispute