Military commanders from India and China have held a meeting on 12 January to ease tensions that erupted over border infrastructure in April 2020. The two sides hope for a further reduction in military assets in Eastern Ladakh in the next round of military talks

Beijing has criticised Washington for what it considers "the interference" in the ongoing border stand-off with New Delhi.

"The China-India border issue is a matter between the two countries, and both sides oppose the interference from a third party," Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defence, said during a press conference on Thursday.

In a joint statement after the 14th round of military talks, the two Asian giants agreed to work towards a resolution that suits both parties.

Dubbing the US a player of "coercive diplomacy," Colonel Wu underlined that China neither "coerces" – nor is it "coerced" by others – and strongly opposes the US forcing "coercive diplomacy" on other countries.

Wu's comments came days after White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Washington will continue to stand with its "partners" on China's "coercive behaviour" in the region.
"We've been pretty clear how we view Beijing's behaviour in the region and around the world. We believe it can be destabilizing. And we're concerned by the PRC's attempt to intimidate its neighbours," Psaki had said on 10 January.

China considers India-administered Arunachal Pradesh part of Tibet.

India and China have frequently clashed over their 3488-km long Himalayan border from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. In 2020, skirmishes over border infrastructure in the Ladakh region’s Galwan Valley left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.