Tan Kefei, the seventh spokesperson of China’s Ministry of National Defense. Photo: website of China's Ministry of National Defense

The border issue is a matter between China and India, and China firmly opposes any form of external interference by a third party in the boundary issue, Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said on Thursday in response to the joint military exercises held by the US and Indian militaries in the disputed China-Indian border area.

The 13th Edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercises "Ex Vajra Prahar 2022," which will last more than 20 days, commenced at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS) in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh, on August 8, according to Indian media reports.

Besides, the militaries from the two countries will also hold joint military exercises in mid-October at an altitude of 10,000 feet in Auli, which will focus on high-altitude warfare training, read the report from CNN. Auli is less than 100 kilometers from a disputed China-Indian border area.

China has noted the relevant reports and will pay close attention to military movements in the border areas, Tan said. He noted that China has always stressed that military cooperation between relevant countries, especially exercises and training activities, should not be aimed at third parties and should be conducive to regional peace and stability.

Tan remarked that China and India have maintained effective communication at all levels and agreed to properly handle the disputes through bilateral dialogue.

According to the spirit of the relevant agreements signed between China and India in 1993 and 1996, the two sides are not allowed to conduct military exercises against each other in areas near the Line of Actual Control, the spokesperson noted. He urged the Indian side to strictly abide by the important consensus and agreements reached by the leaders of the two countries, honor its commitment to solving the boundary issue through bilateral dialogue and take concrete actions to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.

Global Times