Narendra Modi and Donald Trump discuss India-China border dispute ahead of New Delhi-Beijing negotiations on June 6

• India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had a 25-minute telephone conversation.
• During the interaction, one of the topics of discussion was the India-China border issue.
• The development comes after US Representative Elliot Engel expressed concern over the ‘ongoing Chinese aggression’.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had a 25-minute telephonic conversation last night. Among the topics of discussion — like the upcoming G7 summit and the need for reforms in the World Health Organisation (WHO) — was the issue of the India-China border dispute.

The development comes ahead of India and China negotiations on June 6, according to India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting will be led by senior military officers on both sides with India delegation led by the Corps Commander of the Leh-based XIV Corps.

“The two leaders also exchanged views on other topical issues, such as the COVID-19 situation in the two countries, the situation on the India-China border, and the need for reforms in the World Health Organisation,” said the statement issued by the Centre.

However, no specifics were shared. The meeting took place after US Representative Elliot Engel released a statement calling China a ‘bully’ and stating his concerns over the ‘ongoing Chinese aggression’. "I strongly urge China to respect norms and use diplomacy and existing mechanisms to resolve its border questions with India," he said.

Last week, Trump also offered to mediate on the ‘raging border issue’ and claimed to have spoken to the leaders of both countries. Meanwhile, India later clarified that the last conversation between Trump and Modi was about hydroxychloroquine on April 4 — much before any incursions were reported along the border.

The India-China dispute will be resolved using bilateral means
The border dispute stems from the fact that India and China have different claims on where the border actually lines. The LAC is not demarcated and not defined. "Whatever is happening at present...It is true that troops from China are on the border. They claim that it is their territory. Our claim is that it is our area. There has been a disagreement over it,” Singh told News18.

Both India and China have made it clear that any issues over the border dispute along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh will be resolved using bilateral means. China spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said, “We believe the issues can be properly resolved after bilateral negotiations and consultations.”

Singh expressed a similar view citing that the Dokhlam issue was also resolved through diplomatic and military channels. “We have found solutions to similar situations in the past as well. Talks at the military and diplomatic levels were on to resolve the current issue," he said.

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