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Keegan Elmer

Liu Zhen

Beijing has dismissed Indian media reports that at least 40 Chinese soldiers were killed in last week’s border conflict, even as the two countries work to defuse tensions after their worst fighting for decades.
China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday described the reports as “fake news”.
“I can tell you responsibly that it is false information,” ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.
Despite the rebuttal, Zhao said senior security officers from the two sides met in the border region on Monday for a “frank and in-depth” exchange of views and had agreed to take steps to improve the situation.
“The meeting indicated that China and India are willing to appropriately handle the disputes through dialogue, manage the situations and lower tensions,” he said.
“We also agreed to continue the dialogue and work together to promote peace and stability in the border areas.”
The meeting, which Indian news reports said lasted for more than 10 hours, was held ahead of a three-way videoconference between the foreign ministers of China, India and Russia.


Speaking later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would not interfere in the dispute between China and India.
“We never had a goal to help India and China develop their bilateral ties. India and China have every opportunity to tackle and solve any problems in relations between them,” he was quoted as saying in a report by Associated Press.
India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar did not mention the border conflict when speaking to Wang and Lavrov, Indian media reported.
Instead, he told them that he “reiterates our belief in the time-tested principles of international relations”, and that “the challenge today is not just one of concepts and norms, but equally of their practice” at the meeting.
“Respecting international law, recognising the legitimate interests of partners, supporting multilateralism and promoting common good are the only way of building a durable world order,” he was quoted as saying.
The meeting was the latest of several high-level engagements between India and China following the deadly clashes in the Galwan valley.

On Wednesday, China’s Defence Minister Wei Fenghe and his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, will attend a military parade in Moscow.
It is unclear if they will meet, but Indian and Chinese troop delegations will take part in the parade, which marks the 75th of Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany at the end of the second world war.
While China and India have pledged to de-escalate tensions, both sides are increasing their military relations with Russia, with New Delhi pushing ahead to buy more planes, missiles and anti-drone technology from Moscow, which could anger Washington.
Li Lifan, an associate research professor at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said Russia had maintained close relationships with India and China, including military ties and arms deals.
“The trilateral talks [on Tuesday] should be seen as a method of de-escalation. Talks between diplomats will generate a better atmosphere than those between militaries,” he said.
Russia and China shared a greater concern about the United States’ relationship with India, Li said.


US President Donald Trump earlier offered to mediate in the India-China border dispute, but both sides declined. On Saturday, Trump said the US was talking to India and China about the conflict.
“They have got a big problem there. They have come to blows and we’ll see what happens. We are trying to help them out,” he said.
“Trump’s team is very focused on China as a foe and hence is paying close attention to India,” said Madhav Nalapat, a professor of geopolitics at India’s Manipal University.
“On the other hand, Russia is seeking to persuade India to go slow in its relations with the US, in the expectation of a change in China’s behaviour.”
Modi denies Chinese troops entered Indian territory during clashes
India is expected to receive Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles by the end of next year, a deal it signed with Moscow in 2018 despite the threat of sanctions from Washington.
In recent days, India has signalled that it will continue to buy Russian military hardware. India is a prospective buyer of Russian anti-drone systems, weapons manufacturer Avotmatika Groupo told TASS on Monday.
India’s air force is also planning to buy 21 MiG-29 fighter jets from Russia, The Economic Times of India reported last week.
“Once the S-400 gets operationalised in India, the door will be shut for significant US hi-tech aerial weapons transfers to India. This would be an immense gift by Russia to China,” Nalapat said.



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‘Fake news’: China dismisses Indian media reports it lost 40 soldiers in border fighting

Indian media reports say 40 Chinese soldiers were killed in last week’s border clash. Photo: AFP

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's former foreign secretary, speaks during a panel discussion at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. The New Economy Forum, organized by Bloomberg Media Group, a division of Bloomberg LP, aims to bring together leaders from public and private sectors to find solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg

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‘I can tell you responsibly that it is false information,’ foreign ministry spokesman says
But senior security officers from the two sides are working to resolve tensions, he says



‘I can tell you responsibly that it is false information,’ foreign ministry spokesman says.


‘Fake news’: China dismisses Indian media reports it lost 40 soldiers in border fighting

‘I can tell you responsibly that it is false information,’ foreign ministry spokesman says But senior security officers from the two sides are working to resolve tensions, he says

‘I can tell you responsibly that it is false information,’ foreign ministry spokesman says

But senior security officers from the two sides are working to resolve tensions, he says