'Unaware' China calls Indian youth's abduction a 'crackdown on illegal entry & exit'

Beijing, Jan 22: In yet another shameless act, China reacted on the abduction of an Arunachal Pradesh teen by the Chinese Army on Friday. It stated that the incident is a crackdown on illegal border crossing in accordance with the law.

 

When Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian was asked about the details, he stressed that "Zangnan (the southern part of China’s Tibet) is an inalienable part of China’s territory. China opposes India’s illegal occupation of China’s Zangnan."

 

 

 

Further, he added, "The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) manages the boundary and cracks down on illegal border crossing in accordance with law." The spokesperson also asserted that he is not aware of the situation.

 

 

 

On the other hand, Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of China, said to the Global Times that Zangnan from where the teen was abducted was 'China's territory', and the country always opposes India's 'illegal encroachment' of it. "The PLA controls the border according to law & cracks down on illegal border entry & exit," Wang Yi further said, as per the Global Times.

 

 

Earlier on Wednesday, BJP's Arunachal Pradesh (East) MP Tapir Gao raised the issue of Taron's alleged abduction. Gao stated that Taron has been kidnapped from the Lungta Jor area where the Chinese army has built a road inside Indian territory. He added that Taron's friend escaped from the Chinese Army and reported the abduction. Seeking the teen's early release, Gao urged the Centre to intervene.

 

 

However, in September 2020, 5 Arunachal people who had gone hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border, were kidnapped by the Chinese military. Two others, who were in the group, managed to escape and informed the police. The kidnapped - Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri - were later handed over back to the Indian Army a few days later.