Chinese and Indian troops clashed again in a disputed border area, with wounded on both sides, Indian media said.
The incident occurred in northern Sikkim last Wednesday. The Indian army said there was a “small” incident that was “resolved”.
Tensions are high along the most disputed border in the world. Both sides claim large areas of territory.
At least 20 Indian soldiers died in a skirmish in the Ladakh area last June.
What happened in the last incident?
It happened in Naku La, in northern Sikkim, according to the media. Sikkim is an Indian state squeezed between Bhutan and Nepal, about 2,500 km (1,500 miles) east of the Ladakh area.
A Chinese patrol tried to enter Indian territory and was forced to return, officials said. Some reports claim that sticks and stones were used, but there were no shots.
A statement from the Indian army played down the incident, saying that “there was a small confrontation in the Naku La area of North Sikkim on January 20, 2021, and this was resolved by local commanders according to established protocols”.
A source told the Times of India that both sides brought in reinforcements after a “fight”, but there were no shots and the situation was under control.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian did not give details of the incident, but said Chinese troops were “committed to maintaining peace” and urged India to “refrain from actions that could aggravate or complicate matters”. the situation along the border “.
The editor-in-chief of the Global Times, affiliated with the state of China, tweeted that “there is no record of this confrontation in the patrol record on the Chinese side.”
Flashpoints and dialog
Review by Vikas Pandey, BBC News, Delhi
The latest reports on skirmishes show that tensions are still high. The statement from the Indian Army shows that both nations still want to keep the route of dialogue open and do not want skirmishes to disrupt the process.
They conducted several conversations at the military level to ease tensions, but nothing concrete has come out of them yet.
And the troops still face each other at various points of conflict along its contested border.
Some former Indian officials say these exchanges cannot be avoided when the situation is so fluid. But they agree that the negotiations must continue, as both nations do not want a war – not even a limited war.
Why are there border disputes?
Much of the 3,440 km (2,100 miles) border is poorly defined. Rivers, lakes and snows mean that the line can change, bringing soldiers face to face at many points, sometimes leading to clashes.
There was a small clash last May in Naku La, which is at an altitude of more than 5,000 m (16,000 feet). A month later, a deadly confrontation broke out in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. In addition to the Indian deaths, China would also have suffered casualties, although it has made no official comment.
Since the wild hand-to-hand fight there, in which no shots were fired, the two sides have held talks to reduce the escalation. Their ninth round took place between military commanders on Sunday in eastern Ladakh, but there were no details of any deals.
Nuclear weapon neighbors have a lot to lose, with China being one of India’s biggest trading partners.
Relations worsened amid the border clash. Both intensified the construction of infrastructure along some border areas.
The Indian government has also banned more than 200 Chinese applications, citing concerns about cybersecurity.
The two countries waged only one war in 1962, when India suffered a major defeat.
An agreement was signed in 1996 prohibiting the use of weapons and explosives from the Royal Control Line, as the disputed border is known. It remained, although China accused Indian troops of firing warning shots in Ladakh last September.
What is the strategic importance of Sikkim?
The tiny region of the eastern Himalayas has been a key point between India and China for decades. He witnessed clashes in the 1962 war. Five years later, fighting along its border left several hundred soldiers dead on both sides.
The former kingdom was an Indian protectorate at the time and only became the country’s 22nd state after a referendum in 1975.
Sikkim is located near a high altitude plateau known as Doklam in India and Donglang in China.
India fears that China’s greater road access to the plateau threatens India’s strategically vulnerable “chicken neck”, the 20 km (12 mile) wide Siliguri Corridor that links seven northeastern states, including Assam, to the rest of the country.
The border at Sikkim is also crucial for another reason. Indian military experts say it is the only area through which India could give an offensive response to a Chinese incursion, and the only stretch of the Himalayan border where Indian troops have terrain and tactical advantage. They have higher ground, and Chinese positions are squeezed between India and Bhutan.