India's prime minister pressed China's president for a speedy resolution of boundary disputes as hundreds of Indian and Chinese forces faced off in the Himalayas, overshadowing a summit meeting aimed at deepening economic ties.
About 1,000 Chinese soldiers were arrayed against a roughly equal number of Indian counterparts on Thursday morning in a part of mountainous Ladakh that India considers its territory, Indian officials said. They said the standoff, which hasn't led to violence, began last week when Chinese troops tried to build a road in the area.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sitting side-by-side with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a news conference in the Indian capital on Thursday, said: "Peace and stability on the border are the foundation of our mutual trust and relationship," adding: "We both agree on this and we must both steadfastly follow it."
For his part, Mr. Xi said the contested border led to friction at times, but said the two countries had mechanisms in place to make sure boundary problems don't affect bilateral ties. He called for "friendly consultation" to resolve disputes.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, "the Chinese government hopes that we can maintain stability with India in the border area."
The tensions at the border clouded what was expected to be a game-changing meeting between the leaders of the world's two most-populous countries, refocusing relations on investment instead of the strategic rivalry that has long undermined ties.
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