Galwan Valley face-off: US offers condolence message to Indian soldiers who were killed by Chinese troops

Galwan Valley face-off: US offers condolence message to Indian soldiers who were killed by Chinese troops

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo took to Twitter to condole the incident

AgenciesUpdated: Friday, June 19, 2020, 08:01 AM IST
article-image
Narendra Modi and Donald Trump | Wikimedia

As the tensions between the United States and Beijing intensify, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo early Friday said that the US extends its condolences to the people of India for the loss of lives as a result of the confrontation with China.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the people of India for the lives lost as a result of the recent confrontation with China. We will remember the soldiers' families, loved ones, and communities as they grieve,” Pompeo tweeted.

At least 20 soldiers had died on Monday evening after Chinese troops attacked them with barbed wires. The Indian soldiers were trying to remove a tent belonging to the Chinese.

The US and China have been at loggerheads since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. US President Donald Trump has on multiple occasions referred to the virus as a ‘Chinese virus’ and has even threatened to put an end to bilateral trade between the two nations.

Trump warned Thursday that "complete decoupling" between the deeply intertwined US and Chinese economies remains a potential policy.

The US "certainly does maintain a policy option, under various conditions, of a complete decoupling from China. Thank you!" Trump tweeted. He wrote that he was responding to comments by his trade representative Robert Lighthizer, who has been at the forefront of trade war negotiations with Beijing. Lighthizer told a congressional committee on Wednesday that China so far has been living up to the terms of a "phase one" agreement that eased the dispute, but that decoupling the two economic giants was now impossible.

"That was a policy option years ago, but I don't think it's a policy or reasonable policy option at this point," he said. Lighthizer described himself as a hardliner on China policy, and outlined the Trump administration's plans to "reset" the World Trade Organization, largely so that it can better rein in Beijing's policies which he says run afoul of free trade rules.

Meanwhile, a top US diplomat feels that China opening multiple fronts like the one on India border may be because of Beijing's assessment that the world is distracted due to COVID-19 pandemic and it may take advantage of it.

Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell made the remark, adding the Trump administration is closely watching the Indo-China situation.

The latest Chinese activities with India is similar to Beijing's past activities on India border including Doklam, Stilwell told reporters during a conference call.

"One explanation for (China) creating multiple fronts like this is an assessment in Beijing that the world is distracted and is focused entirely on survival right (now), recovering from the corona pandemic, which then possibly is seen as an opportunity to take advantage of the distraction," Stillwell said.

"I'm not going to offer an official US Government position on that, but there are numerous explanations out there for that (in the public domain)," he said, responding to a question on the aggressive Chinese behaviour with its neighbours, including India.

"What we're doing, we're obviously watching the India-China border dispute very closely," Stillwell said, during the conference call after the Hawaii meeting between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi to exchange views on bilateral relations and coronavirus pandemic.

"This activity is similar to the activity we've seen in the past on border disputes with the PRC (Peoples Republic of China), and again, I would point you to those - I think it was 2015 when Xi Jinping travelled to India the first time," he said.

"The PLA (People's Liberation Army) invaded this contested area deeper and longer, with more people, than ever before historically. Whether that was a negotiating tactic or just a punch in the nose to demonstrate their superiority, I don't know," he said.

"But then we saw the Doklam issue down near Bhutan, where we saw similar concerns. I wish I knew. Again, we don't have a lot of visibility and we don't have a lot of open dialogue with our Chinese counterparts, and honestly, I'd like to see more of that if we can," Stillwell said.

During the news conference, Stilwell did not confirm if the ongoing Indo-China border clash came up during the Pompeo-Yang talks. But the State Department official did express concern over the recent Chinese behaviour in the region.

"The actions that we've seen out of the PRC of late -- and you all know this as you watch the beat -- have been not really constructive as we look at India, the South China Sea, Hong Kong issues, and just go around the perimeter. In the periphery things like trade have not lived up to the billing, unfortunately," Stillwell said.

The US seeks a constructive and result-oriented relationship that is fair and reciprocal with China, he said, adding that implies not just conversations but actions.

In addition to talks on areas like North Korea, Pompeo during the meeting insisted on the Chinese disclosing all they know about how this pandemic began, to share all the information that they have that leads to saving lives, he said.

"This is not about saving face; it's about saving lives. And we insist that they live up to their agreements with the WHO and with the international health regulations to make open as this is beyond politics," he said.

"We have to understand and assess that, as I talk about a constructive and result-oriented relationship, that the words are fine but will be judged by the deeds. If we have words of peace but we have aggressive actions, then we're going to have to increase the pressure to manage that," he said.

In this US is not alone, he added.

"This is not a US-China event. It's not a US-China issue. This is China versus lots of others. We just saw a very strong G7 statement on Hong Kong that demonstrates that it's the world that's concerned with this behaviour," he said.

"The objective of these talks was to help the Chinese government understand that their actions are actually working against them and that if they come to the table with a reasonable proposal, the US is obviously going to greet it reasonably and look for ways to work toward a positive outcome," Stillwell said.

RECENT STORIES

'Vasooli Titans': Woman Cricketer Pooja Vastrakar Shares Post Mocking PM Modi, Amit Shah, Deletes It...

'Vasooli Titans': Woman Cricketer Pooja Vastrakar Shares Post Mocking PM Modi, Amit Shah, Deletes It...

Chhattisgarh Murder: Minor Girl Strangulates Boyfriend To Death After He Forces Her To Establish...

Chhattisgarh Murder: Minor Girl Strangulates Boyfriend To Death After He Forces Her To Establish...

Manaskhand Express: All You Need To Know About Special Tourist Train From Pune To Tanakpur,...

Manaskhand Express: All You Need To Know About Special Tourist Train From Pune To Tanakpur,...

Gujarat: Security Beefed Up For Union Minister Parshottam Rupala Amidst Kshatriya Community Protests

Gujarat: Security Beefed Up For Union Minister Parshottam Rupala Amidst Kshatriya Community Protests

Video: Varanasi Airport Staffer Uses Sponge Board To Prevent Luggage Damage On Conveyor Belt;...

Video: Varanasi Airport Staffer Uses Sponge Board To Prevent Luggage Damage On Conveyor Belt;...