No information about Sukhoi, hope India avoids disturbing peace: China

By Gaurav Sharma

Beijing, May 24 (IANS) China on Wednesday said it has "no information" about a missing Indian Air Force Sukhoi fighter jet and warned India not to disturb peace in the border area while searching for the aircraft that disappeared a day ago.

"As for the situation you mentioned, I have no relevant information to offer at the moment," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a briefing here, to a question on the missing Indian jet and if China would come forward to help in the search.

"First of all, on the eastern section of the China-India border, our position is consistent and clear. We have been following the situation in South Tibet very closely. We hope India can stick to arrangements between two sides and avoid disturbing peace and stability in border areas," Lu said curtly.

Beijing claims parts of Arunachal Pradesh in India's northeast as South Tibet.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30 fighter jet with two pilots on board went missing near the Indo-China border in Assam on Tuesday morning. Search is on to locate the jet.

China's remarks are not likely to go down well with India that has a decades-old border dispute with China.

The Sukhoi took off from the IAF Tezpur air base, located only about 172 km from the Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh, on a routine training mission at 9.30 a.m.. It lost radar and radio contact near Arunachal Pradesh's Doulasang area, a border area adjoining China, 60 km north of Tezpur.

Tezpur is one of the three air bases of the IAF in the country that hosts the Sukhoi.

Ties between the two Asian giants have been hit hard by a host of issues, ranging from India's recent boycott of Beijing's Belt and Road project, to China once again deciding to block New Delhi's plea for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group at the plenary meet in the Swiss capital Bern.