The two sides have different recognition or perception of the Line of Actual Control, which is leading to such face-offs, it reported, citing a local expert, while also reminding both countries to find a final solution to the border issues as soon as possible

NEW DELHI: China's state-run media has taken a defensive stance over the face-off between the Indian and Chinese armies in the Sikkim sector.

The Global Times, a leading state-run newspaper in China, reported that a "quick resolution” to the face-off showed that the communication mechanism established between the neighbours after the Doklam standoff was “effective". This approach seemed defensive since the paper had adopted a hard line on most global developments during the past one month.

The two sides have different recognition or perception of the Line of Actual Control, which is leading to such face-offs, it reported, citing a local expert, while also reminding both countries to find a final solution to the border issues as soon as possible.

Qian Feng, a senior fellow at the Taihe Institute and the director of the research department of the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday that Chinese and Indian troops had been conducting increased border patrols thanks to improved road networks on both sides.

“The China-India border issue was left over from the past and both sides have different recognition, Qian said, noting that despite this, the two countries' leaderships and related authorities have established communication mechanisms,” according to the Global Times report.

The effectiveness of the mechanisms was demonstrated by this incident, as the problem was solved at the local level and did not escalate to a national level, the report said, attributing the comment to Qian. “The face-off reminded both countries that while these reoccurring minor issues have not yet hurt China-India relations, they may in the future,” it quoted Qian as saying.

He told the newspaper also that there was a need to find opportunities and work out a fair and reasonable resolution to the border issue as soon as possible.

India and China were involved a 72-day military standoff in Doklam in 2017. At the second informal meeting between the Indian Prime Minister and the Chinese President, it was decided that the special representatives of the two countries would work to figure out a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the border issue.

The two countries had agreed also to set up hotlines between their defence ministries and between neighbouring military regions.