China calls for India to quickly return soldier

China urged India on Tuesday to return a missing Chinese soldier apprehended by the Indian Army at an early date and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the border areas.

The Chinese soldier got lost while helping a herdsman find his yaks along the border region on Sunday night, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular news conference.

China immediately notified India to assist in search and rescue efforts, and India agreed and promised to return the soldier once found, Zhao said. India later notified China that the missing soldier had been found and would be returned after a medical exam, he said.

"We hope India will keep its promise and return the soldier as soon as possible as a way to fulfill the consensus reached at the seventh round of China-India military commanders' talks and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the border areas," Zhao said.

The People's Liberation Army Western Theater Command expressed a similar position on Monday night.

Also on Tuesday, Zhao expressed opposition to a meeting in the United States on Friday between anti-China separatist Lobsang Sangay, head of the illegal "Tibetan government-in-exile", and Robert Destro, appointed as the so-called US special coordinator for Tibetan issues.

"We firmly oppose Lobsang Sangay's undertaking of anti-China separatist activities in any country and in any capacity, and are also against officials from any country engaging with him in any form," Zhao said.

Their meeting violated the US commitment and position of not supporting the "Tibet independence" and not acknowledging the "Tibetan government-in-exile", he said. It also sent wrong signals to Tibet separatist forces, he added.

Zhao urged the US to immediately stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's domestic affairs and undermine the region's development, and to stop providing any support for Tibet separatist forces to engage in anti-China separatist activities.

China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its interests, he added. China opposes and has lodged stern representations to the US over its setting up a so-called coordinator for Tibetan issues and would never acknowledge such a post, Zhao said.