China asks India to stop construction along border

After objecting to construction of a road in Ladakh, China asked India ,on Tuesday, to stop building activities along their disputed boundary insisting that till this issue is settled the two countries should maintain "peace and stability" in the border areas.

"On the border issue, China and India have disputes," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a news conference. "The two sides should make joint efforts to this end before the border issue gets final settlement," Qin said, defending Beijing's objection to construction of a link road in Demchok in South-eastern Ladakh region, barely months after repeated incursions by the Chinese army in that area.

The official Xinhua news agency reported that the road was being built by "authorities of Indian Kashmir in a disputed area near the line of control." "The construction stopped after objection from the Chinese side," it said, confirming for the first time that the People's Liberation Army had objected to the road construction activities.

Work on the road, which was to connect two villages -the last inhabited areas on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on Sino-Indian border in Demchok - was stopped during the last week of October. The road is being built under Centrally- sponsored National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

After construction of nearly 3.8 kms of road, the Chinese Army sought a flag meeting with Indian Army and raised strong objections over the construction as they consider the area as disputed, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he has informed the Centre that the Chinese had raised objections over the road construction.