China and India are working through diplomatic and military channels to de-escalate the tensions as soon as possible and find a solution in a “just manner”, a top Chinese official said on Thursday.

China, however, continued to parry questions on the killing of 20 Indian soldiers on Monday night and also declined to respond to queries on reports of it building a dam on the Galwan river to obstruct its flow. China also remained firm on its stand of blaming India for the clash between the troops at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh.

At a media briefing in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: “The two sides are working to resolve the issue on the ground through military and diplomatic channels.”

“Both sides have agreed to deal with the serious matter caused by the conflict at the valley in a just manner, jointly observe the commander-level talks consensus and deescalate the tensions as soon as possible and safeguard peace and tranquillity,” Zhao said.

“Currently, the overall situation is stable and controllable. We believe under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, the two sides can deal with the relevant matter jointly to safeguard peace and stability at the border areas and work for sound development of bilateral relations,” he added.

Referring to the telephone talks between Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Zhao said the “two sides had agreed to handle in a just manner the serious situation caused by the Galwan Valley clash”.

Asked about allegations that Colonel Santosh Babu and the other Indian soldiers were brutally attacked with iron rods and spikes by Chinese troops and whether the confrontation started when the Indian troops arrived to demolish structures set up by China along the LAC, Zhao reiterated China’s allegation, squarely blaming the Indian troops for the incident.

“The right and wrong of this case is very clear and the responsibility doesn’t lie with the Chinese side,” he said, adding that China had provided the details of the case.

To a question about satellite photos taken on June 16 showing China building a dam on the Galwan river, Zhao said: “I am not aware of the specifics you mentioned.”

Chinese food

Junior social justice and empowerment minister Ramdas Athawale tweeted on Thursday: “China is a country that betrays. India should boycott all products that are made in China. Chinese food and all restaurants and hotels that sell Chinese food in India should be closed down.”