‘Already Engaged With China To Peacefully Resolve Issue’: India On Donald Trump's Mediation Offer

The remarks from the official came a day after Donald Trump extended offer to mediate between India and China over border disputes going along Line Of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate, Trump said. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: In response to US President Donald Trump's recent offer to mediate between India and China over Ladakh border standoff, the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that New Delhi was engaged with Beijing to 'peacefully resolve' the issue. The External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava, in an online media briefing today, said that "We are engaged with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve it." India's response over the issue comes a day after the United States President extended offer to mediate between India and China over border disputes going along Line Of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region which has caused a military standoff between the two nations.

We’re engaged with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve this issue: Ministry of External Affairs on US President Donald Trump's offer to mediate between India and China pic.twitter.com/YwLrqboZ8g

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2020

Taking to the micro blogging site Twitter, Trump yesterday said that the US has informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute. "We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute," Trump tweeted.

We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute. Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020

While Trump attempted to mediate and resolve the dispute that India is embroiled in, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the other hand urged both the countries to avoid any further escalation to heighten the already simmering situation. In a statement on on Wednesday, the Guterres said, "UN is keeping a close tab on the growing tensions between India and China along their borders in Ladakh. We would urge all the parties involved to avoid any action that would make the situation more tense." ALSO WATCH | India Declines Donald Trump's Offer To Mediate With China Over Ladakh Standoff Currently, Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a standoff in the highly sensitive western sector of Ladakh, where China's People's Liberation Army has beefed up its military assets by reportedly moving two brigades along the Galwin Valley and Pangong Tso Lake region. Witnessing the rising tensions, a series of meetings between key officials are being held on a daily basis to resolve the matter. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired separate high-level meetings with key officials. The meeting held to understand the prevailing ground situation of the face-off in Ladakh was attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs, who discussed India's military preparedness to deal with external security challenges.