MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addresses a media briefing, in New Delhi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: ANI

India considers incidents along its disputed border with China “most serious” and “the state of the border affairs” will “reflect on the state of our larger bilateral ties,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in response to a question about a fresh military face-off.

During the foreign ministry’s biweekly briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal didn’t deny that a fresh border incident had occurred. India had reiterated its position at a meeting of a joint military and diplomatic working committee on border affairs between the two countries in August, he said while refusing to provide more details.

Indian content creators alleging increased Chinese activity in the border state of Arunachal Pradesh have gone viral on social media in the South Asian nation. Bloomberg News could not independently verify the claims in the videos.

“India again underlined that peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral ties,” Jaiswal said, adding that “both sides agreed to continue using existing diplomatic and military channels to address outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation” along the disputed border.

India’s Ministry of Defense and the army didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.

The comments come days after officials from the two sides met in New Delhi and ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to India for the BRICS summit, which New Delhi is hosting as the group’s rotating chair. 

These highlight the limits of the recent thaw in ties, with India signaling that deeper engagement with Beijing will remain constrained unless peace and stability are maintained along the disputed frontier.

China and India share a 3,488 kilometer-long (2,167 mile) unmarked border that has been a source of tensions in recent years. Ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors are gradually recovering after the June 2020 border clash that killed soldiers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Xi Jinping in Tianjin last August, signaling a thaw in ties.

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Published on August 12, 2026