US-INDIA GLOBAL REVIEW JUL-SEP 2020

border that stretches for 2,520 miles, at inhospitable freezing heights of 14,000 feet. According to a Reuters report, satellite pictures taken by the U.S. company Planet Labs, show China may be constructing roads in the Galwan area possibly even damming a river. China meanwhile accused India of crossing into its territory in several places on the border. "It reflected an intent to change the facts on ground in violation of all our agreements to not change the status quo," Jaishankar con- tended, warning Yi that the "unprecedented" development, the first in 45 years, would have a "serious impact" on bilateral rela- tions. He urged China to adhere to and sincerely implement the June 6 accord and refrain from unilater- al action, something that, accord- ing to the Indian account, the Chinese leader agreed to. Nevertheless, the China's People's Liberation Army has claimed sovereignty over the Galwan Valley region and accused India of violating their agreement, noted the Carnegie Foundation. "At the conclusion of the dis- cussion, it was agreed that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and both sides would implement the disen- gagement understanding of 6 June sincerely. Neither side would take any action to escalate mat- ters and instead, ensure peace and tranquillity as per bilateral agreements and protocols," the MEA memo on the phone call says. Military officials from both coun- tries are continuing talks, but "The situation remains as it was, there is no disengagement, but there is also no further build up of forces," an unnamed government source told Reuters. U.S. Response Washington's response came June 17, after questions at a daily briefing. "So the President is aware of it. We're monitoring the situation between Indian and Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh," said White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany, "So we've seen that the Indian Army state- ment that 20 soldiers died as a result of the confrontation today, and we extend our deepest con- dolences on that." In early June, President Trump had offered to mediate in the lat- est confrontation. But McEnany said there were "no formal plans" to do that, adding that "during the phone call on June 2nd of this year that President Trump had with Prime Minister Modi, they did discuss the situation not he India- China border." On June 18, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted his reaction. "We extend our deepest condo- lences to the people of India for the lives lost as a result of the recent confrontation with China. We will remember the soldiers' families, loved ones, and commu- nities as they grieve," Pompeo tweeted. At a time when U.S.-China rela- tions are at their lowest point in many years, Trump's intervention of any sort, though uninvited by both sides, may not make any dif- ference. Trump "is really appalled" by China's behavior regarding the coronavirus and blames Beijing for the state of affairs, going by McEnany's words. Though it is just a few days since the violent incident took place and the situation continues to evolve, experts in the U.S. say Washington should make this a top priority and take a stand sup- porting India. In a June 17 opinion piece on Foxnews, James Carafano, vice president of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation, called the confrontation on the Himalayan border another in the list of "outrageous actions" by China. While he did not expect the sit- uation to go out of control, Carafano said, "... the U.S. ought to take a stand against China's increasing bullying," adding that "India is an important American partner for peace and stability in the region. Beijing out to have no illusions about where America stands. The U.S. stands with our friends." He laid the blame for the latest conflagration on the Chinese con- tending Beijing had been ratchet- ing up the frequency of combative events in a bid to get New Delhi to give in to its view of the LAC. Alyssa Ayres, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, echoed these views, introducing According to a Reuters report, satellite pictures taken by the U.S. company Planet Labs, show China may be constructing roads in the Galwan area possibly even damming a river. China meanwhile accused India of crossing into its territory in several places on the border. 9 US-INDIA GLOBAL REVIEW JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020