The Department of Defense "continues to closely watch developments along the line of actual control at the India-China border," said Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's spokesperson, on Tuesday in reference to the 2,100-mile boundary known as the LAC.But the already fluid lines, which contain snowcaps, ravines and rugged peaks, shift with the seasons, bringing Indian and Chinese patrols together for encounters that sometimes turn into brawls but mostly end in mutually agreed disengagement."The Chinese troops made a professional, normative and resolute response, bringing the situation under control," said Long, who called on India to "strictly control and discipline its frontline troops and work with the Chinese side to maintain peace and tranquility in the border area."Although the longstanding border dispute is a bilateral issue, New Delhi would have welcomed Washington's support after last week's clashes, she told Newsweek."I think it was a very timely response, and a very good response in terms of how they accused China very bluntly," Hashmi said."