India has accused Chinese soldiers of launching an incursion far into Indian territory, in the latest flare-up of tension between the two Asian giants over their de facto boundary in the Himalayas. Chinese troops entered 10 kilometers (six miles) into Indian territory on April 15 and pitched tents in the Depsang valley in the Ladakh region of eastern Kashmir, an Indian official said Tuesday. Indian army commanders have met at least two times with their Chinese counterparts, but Chinese troops remain in Indian-claimed territory, said Tsering Angchuk, a civil administrator in Ladakh. "They have not vacated the position so far," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. China dismissed reports of an incursion as Indian media speculation and said the border region has been peaceful. "The two parties have maintained good communication and coordination on the border issue," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Tuesday. A day earlier, Hua said Chinese troops had "patrolled the border line and did not go one step across the Line of Actual Control," the unofficial boundary between the two countries. Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai filed a protest over the incursion with the Chinese ambassador last week, an External Affairs Ministry official said. Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony said Monday that "India will take every step to protect its interests."
