India Blames Chinese Patrol Deviations For Border Tensions After ITBP Chief's Arunachal Face-Off Remarks

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday addressed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur revealed that confrontations with Chinese troops continue at several sites in Arunachal Pradesh.

Explaining why tensions occur along the border, Jaiswal directly linked border friction to actions by Chinese troops.

"As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns," he said.

#WATCH | Delhi | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "The situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns. Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the line of actual control. The two sides have also agreed to discuss ways to improve understanding of LAC in appropriate areas for better border management. The maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations."

— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2026

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The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson emphasised that maintaining peace in the border areas remains vital for overall diplomatic relations.

"I would also like to emphasise that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations," he said.

Jaiswal added that both sides "continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the Line of Actual Control."

He also noted that India and China have agreed to discuss ways to improve understanding of the LAC in appropriate areas for better border management.

What Did ITBP Chief Shatrujeet Kapur Say?

The MEA statement came after Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur said that Indian and Chinese troops faced off in Arunachal Pradesh recently.

Speaking at the Himveer Samman Samaroh in Alwar, Kapur said, "In the past few days, a situation arose where a face-off happened at several locations in Arunachal, and it still continues."

Government Sources Clarify ITBP Chief's Remarks

However, government sources clarified that the ITBP chief's remarks were not linked to any specific incident and were made in the context of routine preparedness and force deployment along the India-China border.

"The ITBP DG's statement was not linked to any specific incident and was made in the context of routine preparedness and force deployment along the India-China border," news agency IANS quoted government sources as saying.

The sources added, "The ITBP, a border-guarding force, operates along the border in accordance with the Indian government's policies, orders issued for different situations, and established standard operating procedures."

How India And China Have Rebuilt Relations Since Galwan

India and China rolled out a series of diplomatic and military measures to rebuild their relationship after it came under severe strain following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 and the subsequent military face-off that lasted for over four years.

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In October 2024, the two sides firmed up a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok, the last two friction points in eastern Ladakh.

Days after the agreement was finalised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Kazan and took a number of decisions to improve bilateral ties.

At the annual SCO summit in Tianjin, Modi travelled to attend high-level discussions and held extensive talks with Xi on the sidelines. During that meeting, Modi said India is committed to taking forward its ties with China based on mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity.

During bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Modi stressed that both sides must show sensitivity to each other's core issues and let relations be guided by the "three mutuals": mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest.

(With Inputs From PTI)