On Monday, China criticized the visit of India's defense minister in the disputed border region of Arunachal Pradesh and stressed that the visit complicates efforts of both sides to maintain peace in the region.
Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday to assess the defense preparedness of the forces along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto yet disputed border between China and India. Sitharaman's visit was well-documented, with the minister tweeting photos of her visit and her meetings with Indian military officers.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, "An Indian official going to a disputed region on the China-India border will perhaps make the issue even more complex, and is not beneficial to efforts by both parties to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border."
India has yet to respond to China's statement. However, in the past, New Delhi was quick to respond in any statement or action that challenges their sovereignty in Arunachal Pradesh.
Both countries have tried to start two-way ties to maintain the peace in the region; however, there is a deep sentiment of distrust between both nations over the border dispute.
China had commented against India's decision to host the Dalai Lama in the region in April and stressed it could create serious damage to their bilateral relations.
Hua further adds that the Chinese government hopes India could meet it half-way to resolve their differences and that India "continue to use talks to appropriately resolve the border issue via negotiation and create good conditions and atmosphere."
