‘None of China’s business’: US stands with India after joint military drills

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New Delhi: The US has reaffirmed that it stands with India in the face of China’s objections to joint military drills between the two countries in the border state of Uttarakhand.

Elizabeth Jones, the US Charge d’ Affaires in India, in a roundtable with journalists on Friday said, “I would point you to the comments by my Indian colleagues, that it’s none of their (China’s) business.”

She said that the US government will continue to raise it when asked about the campaign verging on communal hate. She said, “This is a conversation we have perpetually with our Indian colleagues. That’s one of the benefits of this consequential relationship, that we can discuss a great variety of issues — easy issues, difficult issues; issues on which we agree, issues on which we don’t.”

Earlier, China said that the exercises in Auli, which is around 100 km from the border, violates the spirit of two border agreements. Responding sharply to the statement, the Indian foreign ministry said, “India exercises with whomsoever it chooses to and we do not give veto to third countries on this issue.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated that the joint exercises have nothing to do with the 1993 and 1996 agreements with China. He said, “Since these were raised by the Chinese side, let me emphasise that the Chinese side needs to reflect and think about its own breach of these agreements of 1993 and 1996.”

Notably, the 1993 agreement with Beijing deals with maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control and adjacent areas.

India is holding its 18th joint military exercise with the US- ‘Yudh Abhyas’ in Uttarakhand. The US interim envoy, besides speaking on foreign policy vis-à-vis China, was also asked about trade and a possible priority deal for India.

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FP Staff

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