India on Friday said it will continue to engage with China to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Dokalam standoff, asserting that peace and tranquility on the border is an important pre-requisite for a smooth bilateral relationship.
"We will continue to engage with China to find a mutually acceptable solution," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said replying to a volley of questions on the issue.
Asked about the incident between Chinese troops and Indian border guards in Ladakh on 15 August, the MEA spokesperson said, “Such incidents are not in the interest of either side.” He said two border personnel meetings (BPMs) had taken place between Indian border guards and Chinese troops recently.
He said one BPM had taken place at Chushul on 16 August and another one at Nathu La a week before.
When asked whether China had shared hydrological data with India as floods have severely hit Assam and Bihar, Kumar said no such data was received from Beijing on the Brahmaputra this year.
India and China have an existing mechanism under which both countries share hydrological data.
Kumar said non-sharing of hydrological data by China cannot be linked to the current standoff as there could be technical reasons for it. He rubbished a 'racist video' posted by a state-run Chinese news agency, saying he 'won't dignify it with a comment'.
(With PTI inputs.)
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