In context of the escalating tension between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Postcard News, which is notorious for peddling fake news, has quoted leaders of Israel, US, Russia and Japan, siding with India on the issue.
However, we found that the said countries have not made the official statements as quoted in the viral image.
CLAIM
The image quotes Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu as saying, “Those who are planning to attack India need to face us,” while Russia’s Vladimir Putin has been quoted as saying, “We are always with India.”
US President Donald Trump has allegedly said, “India is our friend & we are always with India.” The image claims that Japan’s Shinzo Abe said, “If in case China attacks India then the end of China will begin. We are with India.”
Several social media users have shared the image on Facebook and Twitter.
The Quint received a query on the claims being made in the message on its WhatsApp helpline.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
We did not find any record of the statements made by the world leaders as mentioned in the viral image. Further, there are no reports of any calls being made by the said leaders to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, except US President Donald Trump.
Let’s look at the official stance of each country on India-China tensions:
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
On 27 May, regarding India-China tensions, Trump had taken to Twitter, saying the US is “ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute.” He also said that he had spoken to Prime Minister Modi who was “not in a good mood about what is going on with China”.
However, the mediation offer was rejected by both – China and India. Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson of the foreign ministry, as quoted by NDTV said India is “Engaged with Chinese side to peacefully resolve it”.
It is pertinent to note that Modi and Trump reportedly had a telephone conversation on Tuesday, 2 June, wherein the two leaders discussed the unrest in US since the death of George Floyd, as well as tensions at the Indo-China border, among other things.
RUSSIA
On Monday, 1 June, in a conversation with The Economic Times, Russian Deputy Ambassador to India Roman Babushkin said that India and China are “duly equipped to find way out for mutual satisfaction.”
“Of course we are worried with the current situation at LAC. However, as we know, there are dedicated specific mechanisms and tools developed by both countries including hotlines, special representatives dialogue, and even informal summits. We are confident that the Indian and Chinese friends are duly equipped to find way out for mutual satisfaction. We would encourage every endeavour in this regard,” he said.
ISRAEL
Israel has not made any on-record statement on the India-China tensions.
Further, while speaking to ThePrint’s Shekhar Gupta, Dr Ron Malka, ambassador of Israel to India described the relations of the country with India and China.
He said that Israel’s relationship with India is a “strategic partnership” and that with China is “purely economic.”
“It’s a strategic partnership, much much more wider and deeper and stronger and the scope of it is much much bigger. As I said, two democracies with many many similarities, with mutual trust, mutual respect, India is a strategic partner of Israel,” he said.
“Even China knows that the relationship with India is different and it’s understood,” he added. He said that India’s friendship values are much beyond the economic relations.
JAPAN
The Japan government has not made any official statement on the India-China tensions.
In the absence of any public record, news reports of the statement, it is evident that the viral image falsely quoted world leaders on their support to India-China tensions.
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