"The Indian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) intruded into China's airspace and crashed recently, and Chinese border troops have conducted identification and verification over the vehicle," Xinhua news agency quoted Zhang Shuili, deputy head of the combat bureau of the Western Theater Command's joint staff department, as saying.

The newly-created Western Theater Command is the largest of the five military divisions in China. Tibet which shares a border with India comes under it.

"India's move has infringed upon China's territorial sovereignty and we are strongly dissatisfied with and opposed to this.

"We will fulfil our mission and responsibility and defend China's national sovereignty and security resolutely," he added.

India is yet to react to the Chinese claim which comes ahead of its Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to New Delhi on December 11.

Wang will attend the foreign ministerial meet of Russia, India, and China.

Indian and China were locked into a 73-day military stand-off at Doklam in the Sikkim section, which was resolved on August 28.

The stand-off put a new strain between India-China ties.