India and China have been engaging at a diplomatic level to peacefully resolve the border dispute between the two countries at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
US President Donald Trump reiterates his offer to mediate between India and China on the border issue
President Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not in a 'good mood' over the border row with China
Interacting with journalists in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said a 'big conflict' was going on between India and China
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is not in "good mood" about the ongoing standoff with China and reiterated his offer to mediate between New Delhi and Beijing on the border issue.
"We have a big conflict going on between India and China, two countries with 1.4 billion people and very powerful militaries. India is not happy and probably China is not happy. I did speak to Prime Minister Modi. He is not in a good mood about what's going on with China," President Trump said at Oval Office on Thursday.
Asked about his Wednesday's tweet regarding his offer to mediate between India and China, Trump said, "I would do that. If they (China and India) thought it would help." However, Trump did not clarify when did he speak to PM Modi.
The US President had on Wednesday tweeted that he is "ready, willing and able to mediate" between the two countries. "We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute," he said.
In response to President Trump's mediation offer, the Indian government had on Thursday said that it is engaging with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve the issue. India's response has come in the wake of ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh sector's Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso areas.
'Engaged with China to resolve border row'
A day after US President's mediation offer, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had on Wednesday said that India was engaged with China to peacefully resolve the border row. "We are engaged with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve it," Srivastava said.
"The two sides have established mechanisms both at military and diplomatic levels to resolve situations which may arise in border areas peacefully through dialogue and continue to remain engaged through these channels," he added.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had stated that both China and India have proper mechanisms and communication channels to resolve the issues through dialogue and consultations.
File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump 
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