20 Indian soldiers have been killed in the border clashes with China (File)

Washington:

The United States voiced hope that India and China will peacefully resolve differences after at least 20 Indian soldiers died in the Asian powers’ deadliest clash in decades.

“Both India and China have expressed a desire to de-escalate, and we support a peaceful resolution of the current situation,” a State Department spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the United States was “closely monitoring” the situation and, referring to India’s announcement of casualties, said: “We offer our condolences to their families.”

US President Donald Trump last month said he was ready to mediate between India and China, although his administration could not offer further details on what he was proposing.

The State Department spokesperson said Donald Trump had discussed the situation with China in a June 2 phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India is an emerging ally of the United States, which has mounting friction with China on multiple fronts.

Alice Wells, then the top State Department official for South Asia, last month said that China was seeking to upset the status quo with India and had to be “resisted.”