Ladakh border clash caused by India, says Chinese defence ministry

BEIJING (Reuters) – Beijing said that the Ladakh border clash between China and India which resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers, was caused by the Indian side. The Indian actions violated a consensus between the two countries and were a unilateral provocation, the Chinese defence ministry said on Wednesday from its social media account. The June 15 battle, reportedly fought with fists, clubs and rocks, was the first time troops have been killed on their border since 1975 and marked a major deterioration in ties between the two Asian giants. A day earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that after talks between the top regional military commanders on Monday, both sides "agreed to take necessary measures to promote a cooling of the situation". "The holding of this meeting shows that both sides want to deal with their disagreement, manage the situation and de-escalate the situation through dialogue and consultations," Zhao told a regular news conference. The two sides "exchanged frank and in-depth views" and "agreed to maintain dialogue and jointly committed to promoting peace and tranquility in the border areas", Zhao added. Shipments from China held for extra customs checks at Indian port: sources Customs officials at Chennai, one of India’s biggest ports, have held shipments originating from China for extra checks, sources aware of the delays told Reuters, amid a backlash against China. The increased scrutiny on shipments from China at Chennai Port, which handles various cargo including automobiles, auto components, fertilisers and petroleum products, could disrupt supply chains. While there is no official order from the government yet, customs officers there have told importers to not allow goods coming from China to leave the port without being inspected, three sources said. Shipments are typically only subjected to random checks and not mandatory screening. An official at India’s finance ministry, which oversees the customs department, declined to comment. And it was not immediately clear at which other ports in the country shipments were being held. A consignment of auto parts being shipped by US automaker Ford Motor from China to a plant in India has been held at Chennai port for further checks, one of the sources said. A Ford India spokesman said a consignment of parts required for manufacturing and export of products is on hold in Chennai. “We are working with the authorities and supporting them with necessary documents and details requested by them,” the spokesman told Reuters. Pharmaceutical consignments are also stuck at Chennai and other ports and at an airport, and drug companies have been told their shipments will be released after rigorous scrutiny of each container, down to every drum, according to a senior industry executive. “This testing process would take at least a week to complete and will cause disruption,” the executive said. The Chennai Customs Brokers’ Association, a trade body for logistics companies, told its members on Tuesday to expect some delays as it had received an internal instruction from the customs department to hold all consignments which have originated from China. “An official trade notice/circular (is) still awaited from customs,” the association said in its notice.