China says India border stable, contrasting with Indian view

BEIJING (AP) — China’s defense minister says conditions along the disputed high-altitude border with India are “stable overall,” in sharp contrast with the much more pessimistic view from New Delhi. The remarks from Li Shangfu came in a statement issued shortly after a meeting Thursday with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. India’s defense ministry quoted Singh as saying China had eroded the “entire basis” of ties between the countries by violating bilateral agreements. That refers to a nearly 3-year-old standoff involving thousands of soldiers stationed along their border in the Ladakh region. Li was cited as saying the sides should “promote the normalization of the border situation as possible” through negotiations.