China on Friday said that the Indian Defense Ministry's recent claim and the deployment of more Indian troops in China-India border areas run counter to the efforts of both sides to ease the border situation and are not conducive to maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas.

The remarks were made by Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, when answering questions from the media.

According to reports, India's Defense Ministry claimed that the inauguration of the Sela Tunnel in the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" would reinforce the Indian military's level of war preparedness. It was also reported that India has deployed 10,000 additional troops along the China-India border.

The area of Zangnan is China's inherent territory, and China never recognizes the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" illegally set up by India and firmly opposes it, said Zhang.

At present, the overall situation in the China-India border area is generally stable, and both sides have maintained effective communication through diplomatic and military channels on resolving border issues of mutual concern, he added.

"We urge the Indian side to stop taking any actions that complicate the border issue and earnestly maintain peace and stability in the border areas," said the spokesperson, emphasizing that the Chinese military will remain highly vigilant and resolutely defend China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

(Cover: A file photo of Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense. /Ministry of National Defense)