NEW DELHI, May 28 - India on Wednesday said it was engaged with China to resolve the border issue, in a carefully crafted reaction seen as virtual rejection of US President Donald Trump�s offer to arbitrate between the two Asian giants in resolving their decades-old boundary dispute.
�We are engaged with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve it,� External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, replying to questions at an online media briefing. The MEA spokesperson did not reply to questions like whether the US had approached India with the offer, whether New Delhi has communicated its response over it to Washington or whether the Trump administration has been briefed about the current standoff between Chinese and Indian soldiers in eastern Ladakh.
In the midst of this tense border standoff, Trump on Wednesday said he was �ready, willing and able to mediate� between the two countries.
�We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute,� Trump said in a tweet on yesterday.
Trump previously offered to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, a proposal which was rejected by New Delhi.
Asked about the situation in Eastern Ladakh, Srivastava said India is committed to the objective of maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas with Chinese and Indian armed forces scrupulously follow the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries on the matter.
�At the same time, we remain firm in our resolve to ensuring India�s sovereignty and national security,� he said.
The MEA spokesperson said the Indian troops take a very responsible approach towards border management and strictly follow the procedures laid out in various bilateral agreements and protocols with China to resolve any issue that may arise in the border areas. � PTI
