On Tuesday, the United States expressed concern over China’s attempts to intimidate neighbours, a senior official said. While mentioning that the US is closely monitoring the situation along with the India-China border, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, told reporters at his daily news conference, "We are closely monitoring the situation. We note the ongoing talks between the governments of India and China, and we continue to support direct dialogue and a peaceful resolution of those border disputes.”
The India-China dispute has been a topic of concern for everyone since early May last year. Despite several military-level talks, the bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) continues.
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In the ninth round of military talks last month, India-China agreed to push for an early disengagement of troops and resolved to continue "effective efforts" to stabilise and control the situation in eastern Ladakh.
Responding to questions, Price said, "We are concerned by Beijing's pattern of ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbours. As always, we'll stand with friends, we'll stand with partners, and we’ll stand with allies to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values in, in this case, the Indo-Pacific.
The spokesperson also said that the United States regularly engages with the Indian government on the two countries' shared commitment to democratic values. Even the first call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden was on the similar lines.
Price further added, "What I can say and this applies not only to India but to every partner of ours across the board we are committed to supporting democratic values, including a free and open civil society and the strong rule of law.”
When asked if the ongoing farmer agitation and human rights issues came up during the recent conversations that the top officials of the Biden Administration had with their Indian counterparts, he said, "We regularly engage with the Government of India...on our shared commitment to democratic values. We believe it's the bedrock for the US-India relationship. It is actually in keeping, as you know, with India's democratic values, its pluralistic values, and its history of tolerance."
(With Inputs from PTI)
