Note given by the Ambassador of India to the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, 8 November 1958

        The Government of India have seen the Note of the Chinese Government of November 1. As the Chinese Government are aware the Government of India had spoken to the Chinese Ambassador at New Delhi as early as the 18th October about the area which is referred to in the Chinese note. It was specifically mentioned to the Ambassador that an Indian party of 15 including 3 Military Officers were out on a normal patrol in this area but had been missing since the end of August. It is now clear that the Chinese Government also claim this area as their territory. The question whether the particular area is in Indian or Chinese territory is a matter in dispute which has to be dealt with separately. The Government of India propose to do so and reply later in detail, to the Chinese note of November 1. Meantime the Government of India express their surprise and regret that although the Indian patrol party had been arrested for nearly 5 weeks no information was given t6 the Government of India and even then it was mentioned to the Counsellor of the Embassy only casually that the arrested persons had been sent across to India on the 22nd October. The Government of India had expected that in view of the friendly relations between the two countries intimation would have been given to them immediately after the apprehension of the patrol party and that arrangements would have been made in mutual consultation about the handing over of the party. The action of the Chinese Government in sending the party across the frontier without previous notice exposed the party to grave risks of life particularly in this season and it was only providential that the party could be rescued.

From: India. Ministry of External Affairs. Notes, Memoranda and Letters Exchanged between the Governments of India and China, 1954-1959. White Paper No. I, N.p., n.d., 29.