18 June

The foreign ministers of China and India have swapped accusations over Monday's deadly military clash along the disputed Himalayan border, while seeking dialogue to resolve the matter.

The Indian military said 20 of its troops were killed in the fight. The Chinese side also reportedly suffered casualties.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held telephone talks over the issue on Wednesday.

China's Foreign Ministry reports that during their conversation, Wang strongly criticized India, saying its actions violated agreements on the border issue between the two countries.

The ministry also says Wang called on India to conduct a thorough investigation, strictly punish those responsible and immediately stop provocations.

India says Jaishankar claimed China tried to erect a structure on the Indian side, in violation of the agreement not to change the status quo.

Indian media say it is the first time in 45 years that Indian soldiers have been killed in a clash between the countries.The clash has triggered protests in India against China.

nhk