Border infrastructure is not the cause of friction between India and China, says MEA spokesperson

• The spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Anurag Srivastava, said the Indian government has been creating infrastructure along border areas to facilitate economic development.
• According to him, the only way to restore peace and tranquility along the India-China border areas is best done by adhering to ‘all relevant agreements.’
• He also reiterated that Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh are an ‘integral part’ of Indian territory and the same has been communicated to China at the highest levels, multiple times.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry recently cited India’s border roads as the root cause of friction between the two Asian giants. However, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has hit back saying that the development of infrastructure in border areas is being done to push economic development in those regions.

“The government has given careful and specific attention to the improvement of infrastructure for the development of border areas,” said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava. He added that development of border infrastructure is an important part of meeting India’s strategic and security requirements.

China’s comments were a reaction to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurating 44 new bridges, including eight in Ladakh, either in Jammu and Kashmir, two in Himachal Pradesh and four each in Punjab and Sikkim.

“As for restoration of peace and tranquility in the India-china border areas, this is best done by scrupulously observing all relevant agreements in their entirety,” said Srivastava.

Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh are an ‘integral part’ of India
China recently renounced Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh as parts of the Indian territory. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that India had ‘illegally’ established the Union Territory and opposed the infrastructure development in the area.

“The Indian territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and would remain an integral part of India,” said Srivastava. He added that Arunachal Pradesh is also an ‘integral part’ of the Indian territory and that this fact has been conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions, including at the highest levels.

According to him, China has ‘no local standard ‘to comment on India’s internal matters.

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