US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Wednesday accused China of taking “incredibly aggressive action” in a recent clash with India over a disputed section of the nuclear-armed neighbours’ border, saying Beijing had a pattern of instigating territorial disputes.

On the night of June 15, Chinese forces and Indian troops fought for hours with rods and clubs, a dramatic escalation that left 20 Indian soldiers killed, with some falling to their deaths in the freezing waters of the Galwan river in the western Himalayas.

On Monday, Indian government sources said China began pulling back troops from along the border with India, after talks between senior military officials.

“The Chinese took incredibly aggressive action. The Indians have done their best to respond to that,” Pompeo said in a news conference at the state department. “I’d put this in the context of General Secretary Xi Jinping and his behaviour throughout the region, and indeed, throughout the world.”

“From the mountain ranges of the Himalayas to the waters of Vietnam’s Exclusive Zone, to the Senkaku Islands, and beyond, Beijing has a pattern of instigating territorial disputes. The world shouldn’t allow this bullying to take place, nor should it permit it to continue,” Pompeo said. His comments reflect the tensions between Washington and Beijing.