Last week, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said the situation along the LAC is disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns, asserting that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.

Days after Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur talked about face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh, and that the situation continues, Beijing — in its first official comments after the statement — on Monday said it is strictly abiding by the relevant agreements with India and conducts normal border patrols to safeguard its sovereignty.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said on Friday that friction points typically occur when Chinese forces depart from established patrolling patterns in border pockets.

Responding to this, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a media briefing, “China…