Talks with China in progress over border disputes: Minister

With reports from Jammu and Kashmir indicating Chinese hold over Indian territory in Ladakh, minister of state for defence MM Pallam Raju today said India "need not be alarmed" as talks were in progress to settle the border disputes.

He also gave the benefit of doubt to China on reports of Chinese-produced arms finding their way to militants in the Northeastern states.

"As long as the border dispute is being worked on and debated between the two countries, we need not be alarmed about all these incidents, whether actual or reported," Raju told reporters here.

He said, in the bilateral relationship, one of the issues that needed to be sorted out was the difference in the perception of the borders and that is being worked on.

Recently, at a meeting convened by the Jammu and Kashmir government in Leh, where army officials were present, it was agreed that China was encroaching into the land with a "specific design" to grab a particular area to extend its control till Indus river.

"As per all maps and evidences, the Dokbug pasture (in Northeast of Leh) land undisputedly belongs to India, and China is moving with specific design to grab this area to extend its control till Indus (river)," according to an official report.