Chinese Foreign Ministry, Presentation of Diplomatic Note to India Concerning Indian Military Personnel’s Encroachment on Chinese Territory

[To] The Embassy of India in China:

The Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China sends its greetings to the Embassy of India in China, and reiterates the following:

On 11 April 1962, at about 12 noon, Indian troops [numbering] approximately twenty-five people crossed over the Sino-Indian border to the west and trespassed into China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. They continued deeper into Chinese territory for about 10 kilometers, to the 5,500-meter highlands (approximately 78.07 degrees east by 35.22 degrees north) and southward, and conducted reconnaissance activities for an extensive period. On 13 April, at about 1 p.m. and then again at 3 p.m., two more groups of Indian army personnel successively encroached on the same area of Chinese territory, infiltrating to 78.03 east by 35.20 north and conducting reconnaissance. The Chinese government has issued a strong protest to the Indian government with regard to these still further violations of Chinese territory.

Over the past year or so, Indian military personnel have repeatedly violated the status quo along the boundary line between Chinese Tibet and India, occupying and infringing on Chinese territory. The Chinese government issued multiple stern protests to the Indian government on the matter, and pointed out the serious danger inherent in such activities. But the Indian side has not only ignored the Chinese government’s protests, it has expanded its illegal activities into the border area of Chinese Xinjiang. India knows perfectly well that China has a sentry post in this area at 78.12 degrees east by 35.19 degrees west, but in January 1962 it sent planes into the airspace above this sentry post to conduct low-altitude reconnaissance and make air-drops as a provocation—and now, even more blatantly, it has conducted armed reconnaissance on the ground near this post; this cannot but severely affect stability along the border and greatly increase the risk that clashes will occur. It must also be pointed out that for a long time India has continuously added sentry posts along the Sino-Indian border, and increased military deployment; moreover, the past few months have seen a succession of news reports from New Delhi that Indian troops are prepared to start provocative armed actions against Chinaafter the border areas have thawed. The Chinese government has reason to believe that the abovementioned invasive activities in Chinese territory signal India’s intent to destroy the status quo along this part of the border. The Chinese government again sternly demands that the Indian government put an immediate halt to these kinds of activities, which may lead to serious consequences.

With best regards,

Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China (copy)

21 April 1962, Beijing

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