New Delhi
Narendra Modi has not spoken with US President Donald Trump about the south Asian nation’s military standoff with China, a government source said on Friday, after Trump suggested Modi was upset about border tension.
The neighbours’ troops have been facing off along the disputed border in the western Himalayas since early May, after Chinese troops intruded into Indian territory, Indian military officials say.
“They have a big conflict going with India and China. Two countries with 1.4 billion people. Two countries with very powerful militaries,” Trump told reporters, according to a White House transcript.
“And India is not happy, and probably China is not happy. But I can tell you, I did speak to Prime Minister Modi. He’s not – he’s not in a good mood about what’s going on with China,” Trump added.
The comments followed a Twitter post the previous day in which Trump said the United States had told India and China that it was ready to arbitrate their “raging border dispute”, the first time he has thrown himself into India-China diplomacy.
But Indian officials expressed surprise at Trump’s latest remarks.– Reuters
