India, China reject Trump's mediation offer on border standoff

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 29

Both India and China have rejected US President Donald Trump's offer to mediate on the border standoff.

In an embarrassment to the US President, sources here denied his claims of having spoken to Prime Minister Narenda Modi on India's ongoing military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. In fact, they underlined that no conversation had taken place between the two leaders since April 4 when they spoke on the hydroxychloroquine export.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for days has been stressing on bilateralism to resolve the dispute even as the US, first by senior diplomat Alice Wells and later Trump, have sought to triangulate it.

For the first time the Chinese Foreign Office also spoke against the US offer for mediation. “We are capable of properly resolving the issues between us through dialogue and consultation. We do not need the intervention of a third party,” its spokesperson said at a media briefing here. “Between China and India we have existing border-related mechanisms and communication channels,” he added.

The clarification from both India and China was prompt after Trump said in response to a question that he had spoken to PM Modi and went on to say that the Indian PM was not in a “good mood’’ over the “big conflict’’ between India and China.

A day earlier, the MEA had said that India was directly in touch with China through established mechanisms and diplomatic contacts to resolve the border stand-off.

Trump has offered at least half a dozen times to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue which was always turned down by New Delhi.