Pangong’s Chinese bridge is being monitored by the MEA

India on Thursday denied reports that China is building a second bridge across Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, saying that the area has been occupied by China for many years.

According to External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, India keeps a close eye on such developments.

“We’ve seen media reports and other reports on the so-called bridge…someone said second bridge or if it is an expansion of the current bridge,” he said.

Bagchi stated that India has long believed that the region in question has been occupied by the Chinese for decades.

He was responding to questions about the Pangong Tso region’s new bridge being built by China.

A number of rounds of diplomatic and military discussions have taken place, with Bagchi saying that India will continue to engage with China.

Wang Yi visited in March and was briefed by the external affairs minister on our expectations, as you are also aware,” he added.

China’s deployments since April 2020 have caused “friction and tensions that cannot be reconciled with a normal relationship between two neighbours,” External Affairs Minister Bagchi said.

To ensure that the two ministers’ instructions are fully implemented, “we will continue to remain engaged with the Chinese side both at diplomatic and military levels,” he said.

In eastern Ladakh, China is building a second bridge around the strategically important Pangong Tso, according to people who are familiar with Chinese construction.

As a result of the ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese armies in eastern Ladakh at several flashpoints for more than two years, construction on the bridge has been halted.