Beijing Raises Concern Over US-Indian Military Exercises Near Chinese Border

Beijing has expressed concern to New Delhi over the US-Indian joint military exercises near the Chinese border, since such actions do not contribute to building mutual confidence, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.

"The joint military exercise held by India and the US near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) violated the spirit of relevant agreements signed by China and India in 1993 and 1996, and does not help build bilateral trust. China has expressed concerns to the Indian side over the military exercise," Zhao told a press briefing.

India and the United States held the 2022 Yudh Abhyas joint training exercise in the Indian state of Uttarakhand near China's border earlier in November to work out interaction in high altitude conditions. The exercise took place at a distance of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the conflict Ladakh region, on the territory of which high tensions have been observed since the 2020 clashes between the two countries' military.

The previous, 17th edition of the Yudh Abhyas military exercise took place in the US state of Alaska in October 2021.