INTL India - China border crisis (Main Thread)
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US to take part in military exercise near India's disputed border with China
Vedika Sud, Barbara Starr, Sahar Akbarzai and Kathleen Magramo, CNN
3-4 minutes
(CNN)The United States is to take part in a joint military exercise with India less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the South Asian country's disputed border with China.
The military drills will be held in mid-October at an altitude of 10,000 feet in Auli in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and will focus on high-altitude warfare training, according to a senior Indian Army officer with knowledge of the matter.
Auli is about 95 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an inhospitable piece of land where the disputed border between India and China is roughly demarcated.
The drills will take place as part of the 18th edition of an annual joint exercise known as "Yudh Abhyas" -- or "War Practice".
Relations between India and China have been strained since a bloody clash between their soldiers in the Himalayas in June 2020 left at least 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers dead.
Tensions have been raised further recently by China building a bridge across the Pangong Tso lake that sits along the border -- a move condemned by the Indian government as an "illegal occupation."
During a visit to India this year, the US Army's Pacific Commanding General Charles Flynn described China's military build-up near the disputed border as "alarming."
Asked about the joint exercises, a US Department of Defense spokesperson told CNN that the partnership with India was "one of the most important elements of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region."
"One important element of this broader effort includes exercises and training events and Yudh Abhyas is one such annual bilateral exercise designed to improve interoperability and improve our respective capacities to address a range of regional security challenges," the spokesperson said.
Line of Actual Control
The Line of Actual Control, the loosely-defined, de facto border between India and China, emerged out of the Sino-Indian border war of 1962, which itself was sparked by longstanding historical territorial disagreements.
Its precise location can be blurry, and there is still dispute between China and India as to where one country ends and the other begins.
Any military provocations between Indian and China could have grave consequences. Both have nuclear weapons.
Border tensions escalated between the two countries after soldiers fought with fists, stones and nail-studded bamboo poles in a bloody brawl that killed at least 20 Indian soldiers in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley, close to Aksai Chin, an area controlled by China but claimed by both countries.
Though tensions have since eased, both sides maintain a large troop presence in the border region, raising the risk of potential miscalculation in the event of sudden and unexpected clashes.
www.cnn.com
Vedika Sud, Barbara Starr, Sahar Akbarzai and Kathleen Magramo, CNN
3-4 minutes
(CNN)The United States is to take part in a joint military exercise with India less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the South Asian country's disputed border with China.
The military drills will be held in mid-October at an altitude of 10,000 feet in Auli in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and will focus on high-altitude warfare training, according to a senior Indian Army officer with knowledge of the matter.
Auli is about 95 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an inhospitable piece of land where the disputed border between India and China is roughly demarcated.
The drills will take place as part of the 18th edition of an annual joint exercise known as "Yudh Abhyas" -- or "War Practice".
Relations between India and China have been strained since a bloody clash between their soldiers in the Himalayas in June 2020 left at least 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers dead.
Tensions have been raised further recently by China building a bridge across the Pangong Tso lake that sits along the border -- a move condemned by the Indian government as an "illegal occupation."
During a visit to India this year, the US Army's Pacific Commanding General Charles Flynn described China's military build-up near the disputed border as "alarming."
Asked about the joint exercises, a US Department of Defense spokesperson told CNN that the partnership with India was "one of the most important elements of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region."
"One important element of this broader effort includes exercises and training events and Yudh Abhyas is one such annual bilateral exercise designed to improve interoperability and improve our respective capacities to address a range of regional security challenges," the spokesperson said.
Line of Actual Control
The Line of Actual Control, the loosely-defined, de facto border between India and China, emerged out of the Sino-Indian border war of 1962, which itself was sparked by longstanding historical territorial disagreements.
Its precise location can be blurry, and there is still dispute between China and India as to where one country ends and the other begins.
Any military provocations between Indian and China could have grave consequences. Both have nuclear weapons.
Border tensions escalated between the two countries after soldiers fought with fists, stones and nail-studded bamboo poles in a bloody brawl that killed at least 20 Indian soldiers in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley, close to Aksai Chin, an area controlled by China but claimed by both countries.
Though tensions have since eased, both sides maintain a large troop presence in the border region, raising the risk of potential miscalculation in the event of sudden and unexpected clashes.
US to take part in military exercise near India's disputed border with China | CNN
The United States is to take part in a joint military exercise with India less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the South Asian country's disputed border with China.
www.cnn.com
jward
passin' thru
Amid India-China tensions, Army conducts exercise 'Skylight’ to test satellite-based systems
Snehesh Alex Philip
New Delhi: The Indian Army conducted a pan-India exercise to test and validate its entire satellite-based communication network to ensure operational readiness in case of a conflict in the future.
Called ‘Skylight’, the exercise was conducted from 25 to 29 July.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said the exercise involved all kinds of satellite communication, from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Ladakh, where India and China have engaged in a military stand-off for the past two years.
Sources also said the exercise not only validated protocols to switch completely to satellite-based communication in case of a conflict but also brought to light key lacunae in the systems, especially in the context of a situation arising with China.
“Conflict situations demand space-based communication because we are going by the assumption that the primary means of communication — terrestrial media — gets disrupted,” a source said, on the condition of anonymity.
Sources said that during the operation, multiple satellite bands were used to communicate and also transfer data.
The assets that were put to test included the static satellite communication systems, the vehicle laden transportable ones and also the man portable systems for their voice and data capability.
“Satellite communication is the back-up as well. Tomorrow, due to any kind of disruption, it is important for our surveillance systems to also work on the satellite band,” a second source said.
“Our northern borders are primary areas of concern. Given the terrain and landscape of the northern areas, it is essential for space based communication,” the source added.
Also read: India-US to hold high-altitude military exercise near LAC amid rising tensions with China
Military-grade satellite for Army
The Army currently does not have a dedicated satellite but depends on several launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation.
In March this year, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the key procurement panel chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had accorded Acceptance of Necessity (first step of procurement) for the indigenously designed, developed and built GSAT 7B, which will be a state-of-the-art, multiband, military-grade satellite for the Army.
Sources explained that the GSAT 7B satellite, which has been a long pending demand of the Army, will be launched by 2025 and provide integrated communication, not just within the force but also the other two services — Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF).
The satellite will cost Rs 4,635 crore and there would be two units of it. One would be operationalised in space while the other on ground.
Asked what happens if the Chinese are able to shoot down the dedicated Army satellite, one of the sources cited above said there are backups in place and communication switches from one satellite to another.
In November last year, the DAC had cleared IAF’s proposal for the GSAT-7C satellite. The force currently uses GSAT-7A (also known as ‘Angry Bird’), which was launched in 2018. While this is a dedicated satellite for the IAF, the Army uses about 30 per cent of its capacity.
The satellite connects various IAF platforms like aircraft, choppers, drones, airborne early warning and control systems and radars, among others.
This was the second dedicated satellite for the Indian military after the GSAT-7, which was launched in 2013 for the Navy. Known as Rukmini, the GSAT-7 is the primary communication link for all naval operations and a replacement for it is being worked upon. This is because the lifespan of GSAT-7 will be over in the next couple of years.
The ISRO will be launching a few more military satellites in the coming months that will be focussed on surveillance, sources said. India currently uses the CARTOSAT and RISAT series of satellites for this purpose.
theprint.in
Snehesh Alex Philip
New Delhi: The Indian Army conducted a pan-India exercise to test and validate its entire satellite-based communication network to ensure operational readiness in case of a conflict in the future.
Called ‘Skylight’, the exercise was conducted from 25 to 29 July.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said the exercise involved all kinds of satellite communication, from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Ladakh, where India and China have engaged in a military stand-off for the past two years.
Sources also said the exercise not only validated protocols to switch completely to satellite-based communication in case of a conflict but also brought to light key lacunae in the systems, especially in the context of a situation arising with China.
“Conflict situations demand space-based communication because we are going by the assumption that the primary means of communication — terrestrial media — gets disrupted,” a source said, on the condition of anonymity.
Sources said that during the operation, multiple satellite bands were used to communicate and also transfer data.
The assets that were put to test included the static satellite communication systems, the vehicle laden transportable ones and also the man portable systems for their voice and data capability.
“Satellite communication is the back-up as well. Tomorrow, due to any kind of disruption, it is important for our surveillance systems to also work on the satellite band,” a second source said.
“Our northern borders are primary areas of concern. Given the terrain and landscape of the northern areas, it is essential for space based communication,” the source added.
Also read: India-US to hold high-altitude military exercise near LAC amid rising tensions with China
Military-grade satellite for Army
The Army currently does not have a dedicated satellite but depends on several launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation.
In March this year, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the key procurement panel chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had accorded Acceptance of Necessity (first step of procurement) for the indigenously designed, developed and built GSAT 7B, which will be a state-of-the-art, multiband, military-grade satellite for the Army.
Sources explained that the GSAT 7B satellite, which has been a long pending demand of the Army, will be launched by 2025 and provide integrated communication, not just within the force but also the other two services — Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF).
The satellite will cost Rs 4,635 crore and there would be two units of it. One would be operationalised in space while the other on ground.
Asked what happens if the Chinese are able to shoot down the dedicated Army satellite, one of the sources cited above said there are backups in place and communication switches from one satellite to another.
In November last year, the DAC had cleared IAF’s proposal for the GSAT-7C satellite. The force currently uses GSAT-7A (also known as ‘Angry Bird’), which was launched in 2018. While this is a dedicated satellite for the IAF, the Army uses about 30 per cent of its capacity.
The satellite connects various IAF platforms like aircraft, choppers, drones, airborne early warning and control systems and radars, among others.
This was the second dedicated satellite for the Indian military after the GSAT-7, which was launched in 2013 for the Navy. Known as Rukmini, the GSAT-7 is the primary communication link for all naval operations and a replacement for it is being worked upon. This is because the lifespan of GSAT-7 will be over in the next couple of years.
The ISRO will be launching a few more military satellites in the coming months that will be focussed on surveillance, sources said. India currently uses the CARTOSAT and RISAT series of satellites for this purpose.
Amid India-China tensions, Army conducts exercise 'Skylight’ to test satellite-based systems
The exercise not only validated protocols to switch completely to satellite-based communication in case of a conflict but also brought to light key lacunae in the systems.
theprint.in
jward
passin' thru
PLA warns against ‘third party’ involvement in China-India border dispute
Amber Wang
3-4 minutes
Tensions between Beijing and Washington are simmering over Taiwan, with the PLA staging unprecedented military drills around the island in retaliation for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit earlier this month.
Soon after Pelosi’s trip, Beijing suspended a series of defence dialogues with the United States.
Tan said the China-India border issue was a matter between the two countries. Both sides have maintained effective communications at all levels and agreed to properly handle the situation through bilateral dialogues.
Relations between the two countries have worsened over the border dispute, especially after violent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. The two sides have held 16 rounds of commander-level talks to resolve the stand-off.
The talks have yielded limited signs of progress in recent months. The two militaries concluded their latest round of meetings in July, agreeing to stabilise border regions and keep bilateral ties on track for improvement, according to a readout from the Chinese side.
Tan said in light of agreements signed by China and India in 1993 and 1996, neither side is allowed to conduct military exercises in areas near the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between India and western China’s Tibet autonomous region.
Tan called on India to uphold its commitment to resolving border issues.
The ongoing US-India joint exercise, named “Ex Vajra Prahar 2022”, is the 13th edition of the drill and will cover joint mission planning, operational tactics and improving coordination between the special forces of the two countries, The Hindu reported, citing an Indian Army statement.
The October exercise, called “Yudh Abhyas”, will focus on high-altitude warfare training. The annual exercise started in 2002 as the largest joint military training between the countries. The location of the exercise alternates between India and the United States.
Lin Minwang, a professor of South Asian studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said Beijing had been closely watching the US-India drills near the disputed border, and the timing of Tan’s comment showed Beijing “feels the drills completely target China” after observing the training methods and weapons used.
01:29
Nepal’s newest China-built airport sparks tension with India
China is wary of the US joining military exercises so close to the contested border, especially since India’s recent response on Taiwan issues has already made Beijing unhappy, Lin said.
In its first reaction to the Pelosi visit, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on August 12 that India was “concerned” over developments in the Taiwan Strait, and called for “the exercise of restraint” and avoiding unilateral action to change the status quo in the region.
Lin said that India’s calls for PLA “restraint” showed the country was coordinating with the United States on Taiwan, which “sent a bad signal” to Beijing.
Lin said the US intended to “besiege China in two directions” – from the east in its alliance with Taipei and together with India from the southwestern border.
He said the drills could create a bad atmosphere for – or even delay – the next round of border talks between China and India.
jward
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OsintTv
@OsintTv
6h
Report: For the China border, Indian Army is considering making "Emergency Purchases" of drones with a max operating altitude of 14000–15000ft, loitering drones, 15 km & shorter range drones & anti–drone systems that have been effective in recent battles
View: https://twitter.com/OsintTv/status/1569192579560009728?s=20&t=jCgXZEMzTBs1XOUswEM-ug
@OsintTv
6h
Report: For the China border, Indian Army is considering making "Emergency Purchases" of drones with a max operating altitude of 14000–15000ft, loitering drones, 15 km & shorter range drones & anti–drone systems that have been effective in recent battles
View: https://twitter.com/OsintTv/status/1569192579560009728?s=20&t=jCgXZEMzTBs1XOUswEM-ug
Zagdid
Veteran Member
Indian, Chinese troops to fully withdraw from Gogra-Hotsprings today
<p><strong>NEW DELHI</strong>: The disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops from the Gogra-Hotsprings area will be completed on Monday.</p>
www.punjabnewsexpress.com
Indian, Chinese troops to fully withdraw from Gogra-Hotsprings today
IANS | September 12, 2022 01:48 PMNEW DELHI: The disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops from the Gogra-Hotsprings area will be completed on Monday.
The disengagement process began on September 8 after the two sides issued a joint statement following a consensus at the 16th round of the India-China Corps Commander-level meeting on July 17.
After successful military talks between the two sides four days ago, Indian and Chinese troops decided to conclude their disengagement process from the Gogra-Hotsprings area at Patrolling Point 15 in eastern Ladakh on Monday.
The talks marked a major progress in the ongoing military standoff between the two countries along the Line of Actual Control.
According to the joint statement, the Indian and Chinese troops in PP-15 are "disengaging in a coordinated and planned manner, which is conducive to peace and tranquility in the border areas."
Over the weekend, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey conducted a comprehensive review of the overall security situation in eastern Ladakh, even as Indian and Chinese armies began withdrawing from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area.
The Army said that General Pandey witnessed the mountain strike exercise besides interacting with the officers and soldiers posted in the area. The exercise demonstrated operational capabilities by artillery guns and other major weapon systems.
"General Manoj Pandey visited Ladakh and witnessed the exercise. He was briefed about the operational preparedness by the commanders at the ground level. He interacted with officers and soldiers and appreciated them for their tenacity and professional standards.
Most of the issues related to the PP-15 were resolved in the last military talks between the two sides. "Only minor differences were pending, which were later taken up for discussion at a Major General level meeting between the two sides, " the statement read.
While the withdrawal process in the Gogra-Hotsprings area is being seen as a major progress, there has been no progress in resolution of the deadlock in the Demchok and Depsang areas.
On Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the process of relaxation at Patrolling Point 15 would be completed by Monday.
"As per the agreement, the disengagement process in the area started at 08.30 a.m. on September 8, and is scheduled be completed by September 12.
Both sides have agreed to prevent further deployment in the region in a phased, coordinated and verified manner, resulting in the withdrawal of troops from both sides to their respective areas, " as per the joint statement.
jward
passin' thru
WLVN Analysis
@TheLegateIN
Chinese PLA troops along LAC in Ladakh now armed with new melee/sharp weapons.
View: https://twitter.com/TheLegateIN/status/1583112051123257350?s=20&t=pasL58GZzWvctWs0C0IMjQ
@TheLegateIN
Chinese PLA troops along LAC in Ladakh now armed with new melee/sharp weapons.
View: https://twitter.com/TheLegateIN/status/1583112051123257350?s=20&t=pasL58GZzWvctWs0C0IMjQ
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Looks like light sabers
jward
passin' thru
Socialbiku
@socialbiku
Replying to
@TheLegateIN
Guys , This is an old black and white picture of pla where pla was doing rutine petroling,here the same picture made colour through photoshop and there sticks made more glowing then it was . So this is nothing real fully false
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Probably I would not worry the news these days is full of junk it is very hard to know what is junk or truth
Bo’s for long weapons, Han-Bo’s for 3’ weapons, Chinese analog of Philippine martial arts weapons. Amazing if they encounter even one of their AK-74 variants, guess what would happen. Wonder what the Asian analog of the Condor or buzzard would be…. Even they, gotta eat…
OA
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Damien Symon
@detresfa_
#AreaWarning #India issues a notification for an #IndianAirForce exercise over multiple eastern states bordering #China and others Exercise Window | 15 - 16 Dec 2022
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Indian, Chinese soldiers injured in clash near Arunachal border
20 Indian personnel sustain minor injuries in LAC face-off on Dec. 9; Commanders on both sides hold Flag Meeting to discuss the issue and restore tranquillity
December 12, 2022 06:56 pm | Updated 10:11 pm IST - New Delhi
This is the first such incident after the June, 2020 episode when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in Galwan Valley. File
Indian and Chinese soldiers suffered “minor injuries” after they were engaged in a face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, the Army said on Monday evening. The Hindu had earlier in the day reported the clash that occurred at Yangtse in which around 20 Indian soldiers and a much higher number on the Chinese side were injured, according to multiple sources.
“On December 09, 2022, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops contacted the LAC in Tawang sector, which was contested by own troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides,” the Army said in a statement after reports of the incident. “Both sides immediately disengaged from the area.”
Also read: PLA museum highlights 1962, Galwan clashes
As a follow-up of the incident, Commanders on both sides in the areas held a Flag Meeting to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquillity, the Army stated. It noted that in certain areas along the LAC in the Tawang sector, there are areas of differing perception, wherein both sides patrol the area up to their claim lines. This has been the trend since 2006, the Army added.
This is the first incident of its kind after the June 15, 2020 incident when 20 Indian soldiers were killed and several others were injured in violent clashes with the PLA troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.
Stating that the clash occurred as a large PLA patrol came across into the Indian side, one Army source said “injuries on the Chinese side were much higher than on the Indian side”. At least three different units of the Indian Army were present at the time of the face-off, it has been learnt.
Also read:A year after Galwan clash, China beefing up positions along LAC
According to another source, a few soldiers sustained fractured limbs during the skirmish and are said to be recuperating at a hospital in Guwahati. Around 600 PLA soldiers were present when the clashes took place, the source said.
This is not the first time that the area in Arunachal Pradesh has seen a face-off between the Indian and Chinese troops. Since the boundary is undefined, Indian and Chinese troops often face off while patrolling the area. In October 2021, a similar incident had taken place when some Chinese soldiers of a large patrol team were detained for a few hours by the Indian Army as they engaged in a minor face-off near Yangtse.
In the last few years, the Army has significantly upgraded firepower and infrastructure along the LAC in the Tawang sector and a similar effort is under way in the rest of Arunachal Pradesh (RALP). This includes road infrastructure, bridges, tunnels, habitat and other storage facilities, aviation facilities and upgradation of communications and surveillance, especially in the Upper Dibang Valley region, as reported earlier.
Two years after Galwan: How much has changed in India-China ties?
As reported by The Hindu earlier, there has been a change in the pattern of PLA patrols, with large-size patrols coming now to assert their claim. Before the 2020 standoff in eastern Ladakh, Chinese bases have largely been much farther from the LAC.
Majority of the transgressions in the last few years are in the western sector while there is an increasing trend of transgressions in the eastern and middle sectors, officials had stated earlier. The LAC is divided into western (Ladakh), middle (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand), Sikkim, and eastern (Arunachal Pradesh) sectors.
In eastern Ladakh, India and China are positioned in close proximity at multiple locations along the undefined LAC for more than two years. While several rounds of talks at diplomatic and military levels have eased the stand-off at a few points, turning the areas into no-patrolling zones, there are others where the build-up continues. Indian, Chinese soldiers injured in clash near Arunachal border
mzkitty
I give up.
At some point somebody's going to bring a gun to one of these stupid incidents and it will be game on. As it is, not that long ago the PLA brought clubs and killed a couple of IA troops. That almost kicked it off at the time. India needs to make it real and costly to deter this sort of thing. The CCP keeps throwing its weight around because they haven't had to pay the bill for their actions. That needs to change.
jward
passin' thru
Newsistaan
@newsistaan
Interesting video of Indian forces thwarting Chinese PLA attempts to enter Indian territory at the LAC.
#Tawang #China #IndianArmy
View: https://twitter.com/newsistaan/status/1602732721704357888?s=20&t=lryC_jA_Cza-unhwOWSr2g
@newsistaan
Interesting video of Indian forces thwarting Chinese PLA attempts to enter Indian territory at the LAC.
#Tawang #China #IndianArmy
View: https://twitter.com/newsistaan/status/1602732721704357888?s=20&t=lryC_jA_Cza-unhwOWSr2g
jward
passin' thru
Indo-Pacific News - Geo-Politics & Military News
@IndoPac_Info
6m
Amid tension at the #LAC border, #India is using naval assets for land border surveillance
The Navy is deploying P-8I long-range patrol aircraft & heavy-duty Sea Guardian drones as requested by the #IndianArmy for intelligence-gathering missions along the northern borders.
@IndoPac_Info
6m
Amid tension at the #LAC border, #India is using naval assets for land border surveillance
The Navy is deploying P-8I long-range patrol aircraft & heavy-duty Sea Guardian drones as requested by the #IndianArmy for intelligence-gathering missions along the northern borders.
jward
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Shashank Joshi
@shashj
1h
This is also interesting. "We [India] have today the largest peacetime deployment in our history on the China border. We are keeping troops there at a huge cost with great effort."
Updated: February 21, 2023 4:45 pm IST
S Jaishankar said Congress must have some problem understanding words beginning with 'C'.
New Delhi:
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi who has been targeting the government over China's aggression on the LAC in eastern Ladakh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that it is not the Congress leader but Prime Minister Narendra Modi who sent the Army to the Line of Actual Control as a countermeasure to troop deployment by China and the opposition party should have honesty to look at what happened in 1962.
In an interview with ANI, Mr Jaishankar said the Modi government had increased the budget by five times to ramp up border infrastructure.
Referring to Congress and other opposition parties outraging over the Chinese building a bridge on the Pangong Lake last year, the Minister said the area had been under illegal occupation of China since the 1962 war.
In a strong rebuttal to Congress over allegations pertaining to China, he said its leaders must have some problem understanding words beginning with 'C'.
"When did that area actually come under Chinese control? They (Congress) must have some problem understanding words beginning with 'C'. I think they are deliberately misrepresenting the situation. The Chinese first came there in 1958 and the Chinese captured it in October 1962. Now you are going to blame the Modi government in 2023 for a bridge which the Chinese captured in 1962 and you don't have the honesty to say that it is where it happened," said Dr Jaishankar.
"Rajiv Gandhi went to Beijing in 1988...signed agreements in 1993 and 1996. I do not think signing those agreements was wrong. This is not a political point I am making. I think those agreements were signed at that time because we needed to stabilise the border. And they did, stabilise the border."
The External Affairs Minister stressed that when other countries' demands are not reasonable, the government will not be able to come to an agreement.
Asked about the Congress party's allegation that the Modi government is defensive and reactive on the China issue, Mr Jaishankar dismissed the claims saying there is currently the largest peacetime deployment along the China border.
"If I would have to sum up this China thing, please do not buy this narrative that somewhere the government is on the defensive...somewhere we are being accommodative. I ask people if we were being accommodative who sent the Indian Army to the LAC (Line of Actual Control). Rahul Gandhi did not send them. Narendra Modi sent them. We have today the largest peacetime deployment in our history on the China border. We are keeping troops there at a huge cost with great effort. We have increased our infrastructure spending on the border five times in this government. Now tell me who is the defensive and accommodative person? Who is actually telling the truth? Who is depicting things accurately? Who is playing footsie with history?"," added Mr Jaishankar in an interview to ANI.
Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks that S Jaishankar did not know much about foreign policy and needed to learn a little bit more, the External Affairs Minister took a veiled dig and said he is willing to listen to the Wayanad MP if he has "superior knowledge and wisdom" on China.
"I think he said this somewhere in a public meeting. It is probably in the context of China. All I can say in my defence is I have been the longest-serving ambassador in China. I have been dealing with a lot of these border issues for a very long time. I am not suggesting that I am necessarily the most knowledgeable person but I would have a fairly good self-opinion of my understanding of what is up there. If he has superior knowledge and wisdom for China, I am always willing to listen. As I said, for me life is a learning process. If that is a possibility, I have never closed my mind to anything however improbable that may be," Mr Jaishankar added.
Referring to Congress criticism concerning border villages coming up on the Chinese side of LAC, he said the opposition party should remember what happened in 1962.
"What happens you do this smoke and mirror, oh there is something happening here it is almost like 1962 never happened," he said.
"We should be building border infrastructure. Why did you (Congress-led governments) not build up infrastructure? Look at the border infrastructure budget during the Modi period, the budget has gone up five times. Till 2014, it was roughly ₹ 3000-4000 crore, today it is ₹ 14,000 crore. If you look at the roads that are built, the bridges, they have doubled or tripled, look at the tunnels this government is serious about border infrastructure...where as we know the underlining thinking earlier was let us leave it like that till the Chinese cannot come inside which meant you have no intention of contesting them when they came in," he said.
He said it was important to call out Congress blunders as it was targeting the government.
"Personally, I can get into a blame game what happened in 1962, it happened, but now if you whitewash all that everything happened only in 2023... I have to call you (Congress) out," Jaishankar said. He added that steps to improve border infrastructure should have been taken at least over two decades back.
No first of all I am not using the word we are fortifying it I think we are legitimately building our border infrastructure because they have built a robust border infrastructure. In my view, we should have done it 25 years ago.
He said China was a bigger economy and India was responding to the situation that China has created along the LAC in Ladakh by violating border agreements.
"They are the bigger economy what I am going to do? I am a smaller economy. Am I going to sort of pick up a fight with a bigger economy? It is not a question of reacting. It is a question of common sense. We had in agreement that we are not supposed to bring to the borders in large numbers...because it is in our interest to stabilize our borders or a situation it is not out of love affection or sentiment. It is a core calculation," he said.
Mr Jaishankar said border agreements had helped stabilise the situation till these were violated by China.
There had been a standoff at the LAC in Ladakh following the aggressive actions of the Chinese Army. The two countries held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks for disengagement from some friction points. The high level of troop deployment by China continues for which India has taken counter steps.
www.ndtv.com
@shashj
1h
This is also interesting. "We [India] have today the largest peacetime deployment in our history on the China border. We are keeping troops there at a huge cost with great effort."
PM Modi Sent Army To China Border, Not Rahul Gandhi: S Jaishankar
S Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi's government had increased the budget by five times to ramp up border infrastructure.
India NewsAsian News InternationalUpdated: February 21, 2023 4:45 pm IST
S Jaishankar said Congress must have some problem understanding words beginning with 'C'.
New Delhi:
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi who has been targeting the government over China's aggression on the LAC in eastern Ladakh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that it is not the Congress leader but Prime Minister Narendra Modi who sent the Army to the Line of Actual Control as a countermeasure to troop deployment by China and the opposition party should have honesty to look at what happened in 1962.
In an interview with ANI, Mr Jaishankar said the Modi government had increased the budget by five times to ramp up border infrastructure.
Referring to Congress and other opposition parties outraging over the Chinese building a bridge on the Pangong Lake last year, the Minister said the area had been under illegal occupation of China since the 1962 war.
In a strong rebuttal to Congress over allegations pertaining to China, he said its leaders must have some problem understanding words beginning with 'C'.
"When did that area actually come under Chinese control? They (Congress) must have some problem understanding words beginning with 'C'. I think they are deliberately misrepresenting the situation. The Chinese first came there in 1958 and the Chinese captured it in October 1962. Now you are going to blame the Modi government in 2023 for a bridge which the Chinese captured in 1962 and you don't have the honesty to say that it is where it happened," said Dr Jaishankar.
"Rajiv Gandhi went to Beijing in 1988...signed agreements in 1993 and 1996. I do not think signing those agreements was wrong. This is not a political point I am making. I think those agreements were signed at that time because we needed to stabilise the border. And they did, stabilise the border."
The External Affairs Minister stressed that when other countries' demands are not reasonable, the government will not be able to come to an agreement.
Asked about the Congress party's allegation that the Modi government is defensive and reactive on the China issue, Mr Jaishankar dismissed the claims saying there is currently the largest peacetime deployment along the China border.
"If I would have to sum up this China thing, please do not buy this narrative that somewhere the government is on the defensive...somewhere we are being accommodative. I ask people if we were being accommodative who sent the Indian Army to the LAC (Line of Actual Control). Rahul Gandhi did not send them. Narendra Modi sent them. We have today the largest peacetime deployment in our history on the China border. We are keeping troops there at a huge cost with great effort. We have increased our infrastructure spending on the border five times in this government. Now tell me who is the defensive and accommodative person? Who is actually telling the truth? Who is depicting things accurately? Who is playing footsie with history?"," added Mr Jaishankar in an interview to ANI.
Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks that S Jaishankar did not know much about foreign policy and needed to learn a little bit more, the External Affairs Minister took a veiled dig and said he is willing to listen to the Wayanad MP if he has "superior knowledge and wisdom" on China.
"I think he said this somewhere in a public meeting. It is probably in the context of China. All I can say in my defence is I have been the longest-serving ambassador in China. I have been dealing with a lot of these border issues for a very long time. I am not suggesting that I am necessarily the most knowledgeable person but I would have a fairly good self-opinion of my understanding of what is up there. If he has superior knowledge and wisdom for China, I am always willing to listen. As I said, for me life is a learning process. If that is a possibility, I have never closed my mind to anything however improbable that may be," Mr Jaishankar added.
Referring to Congress criticism concerning border villages coming up on the Chinese side of LAC, he said the opposition party should remember what happened in 1962.
"What happens you do this smoke and mirror, oh there is something happening here it is almost like 1962 never happened," he said.
"We should be building border infrastructure. Why did you (Congress-led governments) not build up infrastructure? Look at the border infrastructure budget during the Modi period, the budget has gone up five times. Till 2014, it was roughly ₹ 3000-4000 crore, today it is ₹ 14,000 crore. If you look at the roads that are built, the bridges, they have doubled or tripled, look at the tunnels this government is serious about border infrastructure...where as we know the underlining thinking earlier was let us leave it like that till the Chinese cannot come inside which meant you have no intention of contesting them when they came in," he said.
He said it was important to call out Congress blunders as it was targeting the government.
"Personally, I can get into a blame game what happened in 1962, it happened, but now if you whitewash all that everything happened only in 2023... I have to call you (Congress) out," Jaishankar said. He added that steps to improve border infrastructure should have been taken at least over two decades back.
No first of all I am not using the word we are fortifying it I think we are legitimately building our border infrastructure because they have built a robust border infrastructure. In my view, we should have done it 25 years ago.
He said China was a bigger economy and India was responding to the situation that China has created along the LAC in Ladakh by violating border agreements.
"They are the bigger economy what I am going to do? I am a smaller economy. Am I going to sort of pick up a fight with a bigger economy? It is not a question of reacting. It is a question of common sense. We had in agreement that we are not supposed to bring to the borders in large numbers...because it is in our interest to stabilize our borders or a situation it is not out of love affection or sentiment. It is a core calculation," he said.
Mr Jaishankar said border agreements had helped stabilise the situation till these were violated by China.
There had been a standoff at the LAC in Ladakh following the aggressive actions of the Chinese Army. The two countries held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks for disengagement from some friction points. The high level of troop deployment by China continues for which India has taken counter steps.
PM Modi Sent Army To China Border, Not Rahul Gandhi: S Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today hit back at Rahul Gandhi who has been targetting the Centre over the border issue with China.
www.ndtv.com
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India says situation with China fragile, dangerous in the Himalayan front
Reuters
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the BJP-led NDA will form government again in 2024 and Narendra Modi will become prime minister for a third consecutive term.
Participating at a conclave in Delhi, Shah also said ever since the Modi government came to power, issues related to three hotspots -- Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and Naxal -- were by and large resolved.
Since a surgical strike was carried out against terrorists inside Pakistan, no foreign power dared to interfere in the internal affairs of the country, the home minister said.
"People will decide who will be the next prime minister of the country. I have visited every part of the country and have realised that again the BJP will form the government and Modi will become the prime minister for a third consecutive term," he said.
Shah said since the 1970s, this would be for the first time that a prime minister will get the people's mandate for the third consecutive term.
Asked about the number of seats the NDA will get in the 2024 general elections, the minister said it would be more than 2019. "We (the BJP) will get more than 303 seats," he said.
The BJP got 303 seats in the 2019 general elections and the NDA got over 350 seats out of the total 543 Lok Sabha constituencies.
Shah said when the Modi government came to power for the first time in 2014, 60 crore people had no bank accounts, 10 crore people had no access to toilets and three crore people had no electricity connections.
The Modi government has given all of them access to banks, toilets, free food, electricity and gas connections, he said.
Not only that, externally, if there is a problem in the world, other leaders look towards Modi and what he thinks and what he believes, Shah said.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic was handled very efficiently by the Modi government and it successfully inoculated all citizens of the country.
Asked about his role as Union home minister, Shah said he was satisfied that problems in three hotspots -- Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and Naxal — were by and large resolved.
There is 70 per cent drop in violence in Jammu and Kashmir, 60 per cent less violence in Naxal-affected areas, and many insurgents have surrendered and peace agreements signed in the Northeast, he said.
Besides these, Shah said, under the Modi government, Article 370 was scrapped, Ram temple is being built and issues related to the Triple Talaq resolved.
Asked when elections could be held in Jammu and Kashmir, the home minister said the Election Commission (EC) will decide about it when it gets ready to conduct the polls.
"When the EC will seek a report from the home ministry, we will provide it immediately," he said.
India says situation with China fragile, dangerous in the Himalayan front | India News - Times of India
India News: At least 24 soldiers were killed when the two sides clashed in the region in mid-2020, but the situation has been calmed through rounds of diplomatic
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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Top General Warns of ‘Concerning’ Chinese Activities Along Border With India | World Report
U.S. News StaffJuly 6, 2021
The Army’s top officer for operations in the Indo-Pacific region warned Thursday of the potential for new Chinese offensives in contested areas of its border with India – among the most consequential flashpoints for violence between world powers and a place where the U.S. is dedicating more military resources.
“The activities [of] what’s called the Western Theater Army in and along that area have been concerning for a number of months,” Gen. Charles Flynn, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, told reporters during a visit to a military base in Alaska this week.
He was referencing the Chinese military command that has overseen systematic and occasionally violent incursions into territory in the high Himalayas that India also claims as its own. The most recent encounter in November in the Arunachal Pradesh region – in which India employed new U.S.-provided intelligence to anticipate and defeat the encroaching Chinese, as U.S. News first reported – came days after American forces completed a new training exercise with their Indian counterparts along another part of the border. That exchange represented the fruits of a new partnership between Washington and New Delhi that has enraged the Chinese Communist Party.
“That area has become more concerning because of their actions along the Line of Actual Control,” Flynn added, referencing the rough demarcation line along the inhospitable mountain region separating territory that China and India each claims as its own. “Nations represented in that part of South Asia have voiced similar concerns as well.”
Analysts and officials say China is currently in a probing and testing phase, preparing itself for future conflict by determining how well the Indian military, with its foreign backers, can respond to provocations. It has vast implications for how the U.S. and its allies can effectively offset Beijing’s ambitions for land grabs there – and elsewhere.
The Week in Cartoons March 27-31
Flynn on Thursday declined to offer any details on what new measures China has undertaken to improve its chances for the next incursion as Beijing tests its expansionist aims, to include any new infrastructure it has installed along the border or intelligence-gathering measures.
The general spoke alongside the commander of a newly reactivated unit, the 11th Airborne Division based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, where he was visiting. Since its reformation in 2022, the division has taken on responsibility for the wider Indo-Pacific region, including preparing for rapid deployment in the case of a military confrontation. The unit is currently taking part in exercises at its training facility in Alaska with Canadian counterparts and field artillery to prepare for deploying rapidly into an Arctic environment.
The commander, Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, detailed the new military exchanges his unit has carried out with Indian counterparts, first in Alaska two years ago and again last November at staging areas in the Himalayas, and revealed that the U.S. plans to increase their frequency.
“It was a great exercise ... going into the Himalayas was something of a first for us,” Eifler said. “This is something we’re looking to do more frequently in the future.”
India plans to return to Alaska for new exercises later this year, he said, adding, “It’s getting to be a great routine of like-minded units training together.”
The exercises themselves have infuriated Beijing, but particularly the division’s decision to conduct and publicize a promotion ceremony for four of its officers in the shadow of Nanda Devi, the second-tallest peak in India and a source of deep cultural significance to the surrounding communities, as well as an impromptu outdoor rock concert in which Eifler played guitar. A spokesman told U.S. News earlier this month the activities were “simply a friendly effort to acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of our soldiers and an opportunity to relax with friends after an intense training mission.”
“Every day felt like you were in a painting,” Eifler added. “It’s amazing to see those Himalayan mountains.”
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
India/China have been going around like this for decades but there's no reason to believe PRC is kidding around. One can almost bet with certainty if that goes hot, Pakistan will seize the opportunity to attack India and all three have nukes.
It might be all that's needed to light the Global fuse.
It might be all that's needed to light the Global fuse.
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One could easily pin a world map to the wall and throw a dart in order to figure out just where the next smoldering pile will catch fire: may well be this one that is cast in the role o' Archduke, the whole world is enflamed it seems, and the dart would be bound to hit something that ran the risk of a serious spark up, no matter where it landed...
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Beijing Issues Third List of Chinese Names for Places in India’s Arunachal Pradesh
By Sudha Ramachandran for The Diplomat
7–9 minutes
The Pulse | Security | South Asia
Is the list aimed at warning India against hosting an upcoming air combat exercise with the U.S., where Japan will participate as an observer?
FILE- In this Oct. 21, 2012 file photo, Indian army soldiers keep watch at the Indo-China border in Bumla at an altitude of 15,700 feet (4,700 meters) above sea level in Arunachal Pradesh, India.
Credit: AP Photo/Anupam Nath, file
The Chinese government has released a list of what it calls “standardized geographical names” for 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, along with a map depicting much of this Northeast Indian state as part of what it refers to as “Zangnan,” the southern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The list, which China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs released on April 2, provides coordinates of two residential areas, five mountain peaks, two rivers and two other areas, all in Arunachal Pradesh, and their names in Chinese characters, Tibetan and pinyin.
The Chinese move is yet another attempt by Beijing to strengthen its claims over Indian territory in the eastern sector of the disputed Sino-Indian border i.e. in Arunachal Pradesh. As the noted Tibetologist Claude Arpi told The Diplomat last year: “This is part of the propaganda to assert China’s claims.”
India reacted with a strong statement in response to the Chinese renaming of Indian places. “We reject this outright. Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement, adding that “attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality.”
This is the third list of renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh that China has released in recent years. In 2017, the Chinese put out a list of six places and followed that up with another list of 15 places in December 2021.
China claims around 90,000 sq km of territory in northeastern India i.e., almost the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh. During the 1962 India-China war, the PLA occupied chunks of Indian territory in the eastern and western sectors. While it retained control of Aksai Chin in the western sector, it withdrew from the territory it had occupied in the eastern sector. For several decades thereafter Beijing focused on consolidating its control over Aksai Chin and Tibet and it was only in the mid-1980s that it began asserting claims over Arunachal Pradesh.
In addition to periodic military ingressions into Arunachal Pradesh — the one at Tawang on December 9 of last year, for example — China has asserted its claims over the territory by vociferously objecting to any Indian move to consolidate its control over the state. Visits by Indian leaders, as well as the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, have triggered strong responses from Beijing. The Chinese government has also refused to issue visas for Indians from Arunachal Pradesh and blocked loans from multilateral banks for development projects in the state on the grounds that this is disputed territory.
Assigning Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh is part of this strategy.
The Chinese government maintains that “Zangnan has been China’s territory since ancient times.” Chinese analysts contend that India “illegally occupied” this area and gave places there “illegal names.” “The right to name places in the region should [therefore] belong to China,” according to Zhang Yongpan, a research fellow at the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. China’s “standardization of place names” in Arunachal completely “falls within China’s sovereignty,” Global Times cited him as saying.
The Chinese government has assigned Chinese names to places in other areas where it claims territory, as in the South China Sea. In April 2020, its Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Civil Affairs released a list of Chinese names for 80 islands, reefs, and ridges, along with their coordinates. “The standardization [of names] reflected China’s sovereignty over these listed islands in the South China Sea and their surrounding waters,” Qian Feng, a senior fellow at the Taihe Institute and director of the research department of the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing, was quoted as saying at that time by Global Times.
Relations between India and China have been extremely strained in recent years, especially since June 2020, when their soldiers clashed violently at the Galwan Valley in the western sector of the Line of Actual Control. The two armies are reported to have disengaged from several “friction points.” But tensions continue to run high. Although the epicenter of the current military stand-off is the Western sector, China’s interest in Arunachal Pradesh remains high as evident from the ingression at Tawang in December last year.
China released the first list of “standardized names” on April 13, 2017, two days after the Dalai Lama ended a week-long visit to Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese media had warned of serious consequences if India did not stop the Tibetan leader’s visit. A few months later, the Indian and Chinese armies were locked in a 73-day standoff at Doklam near the China-India-Bhutan trijunction.
The second list of “standardized names,” which was announced on December 30, 2021, came amid heightened border tensions. Importantly, it came two days before a new Chinese border law. The law is seen in New Delhi as a move to formalize Chinese intrusions into Indian territory since April 2020 and also, strengthen Chinese claims over disputed territory.
What is the significance of the timing of the latest Chinese list of “standardized names” for Indian places?
In November 17-December 2, 2022, India and the U.S. participated in a high-altitude joint military exercise at Auli, which is less than 100 km from the LAC in the middle sector. China’s ingression at Tawang, which followed a week later, was seen as retaliation for the India-U.S war games in the Himalayas.
Between April 10 and 21, the Indian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force will be participating in major air combat wargames at the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal. The “Cope India” exercise will see Japan participate as an “observer.”
With its latest list of Chinese names for Indian place names in Arunachal Pradesh has Beijing sent out another warning to India?
Beijing Issues Third List of Chinese Names for Places in India’s Arunachal Pradesh
Is the list aimed at warning India against hosting an upcoming air combat exercise with the U.S., where Japan will participate as an observer?
thediplomat.com
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EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
2h
Massive Chinese buildup near Doklam rings alarm bells in Indian military Massive Chinese build-up near Doklam rings alarm bells in Indian military
via @indiatoday
View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1645816346104537093?s=20
@EndGameWW3
2h
Massive Chinese buildup near Doklam rings alarm bells in Indian military Massive Chinese build-up near Doklam rings alarm bells in Indian military
via @indiatoday
View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1645816346104537093?s=20
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OsintTV
@OsintTV
17h
️#Exclusive
At a height of 4,500 meters, close to the border with India, the occupied #Tibet Military Region's Chinese army aviation brigade conducted large-scale live-fire attack helicopter exercise : Chinese media
View: https://twitter.com/OsintTV/status/1669918924324888577?s=20
@OsintTV
17h
️#Exclusive At a height of 4,500 meters, close to the border with India, the occupied #Tibet Military Region's Chinese army aviation brigade conducted large-scale live-fire attack helicopter exercise : Chinese mediaView: https://twitter.com/OsintTV/status/1669918924324888577?s=20
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Clash Report
@clashreport
Indian Army conducted a major exercise in Ladakh, a disputed region with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
View: https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1712349781723423030?s=20
@clashreport
Indian Army conducted a major exercise in Ladakh, a disputed region with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
View: https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1712349781723423030?s=20
northern watch
TB Fanatic
From my email inbox Bloomberg Next China March 15 2024
Border Tensions
Tensions between Washington and Beijing aren't the only ones to watch.
Strains are increasing between China and its neighbor India, which has built a tunnel and freed up thousands of soldiers to strengthen its presence along a disputed border.
A 10,000-strong unit of soldiers previously assigned to India's western border has now been set aside to guard a stretch of its frontier with China, according to senior Indian officials. In addition, an existing contingent of 9,000 soldiers, already designated to the border, will be brought under the newly created fighting command.
The combined force will guard a 532 kilometer (330.57 miles) stretch of border that separates China’s Tibet region with India’s northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Ties between the nuclear armed neighbors have cratered since a deadly border clash in 2020 that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. As many as 21 rounds of military-diplomatic talks since the clash have made incremental progress, while India has since passed laws to discourage Chinese investment.
The troop movements won’t reduce tensions, Beijing said — nor will the the recent inauguration of a tunnel built under the Sela pass, which will give Indian troops easy access to areas close to the disputed border. China lodged a diplomatic protest over the development in northeastern Arunachal Pradesh region, an area China calls Zangnan and claims as its own.
China has consistently opposed India’s development projects and visits by Indian leaders in the region. The area, nestled in the Himalayas, is home to some of Hinduism’s holiest shrines and is seeing increased tourism.
Border Tensions
Tensions between Washington and Beijing aren't the only ones to watch.
Strains are increasing between China and its neighbor India, which has built a tunnel and freed up thousands of soldiers to strengthen its presence along a disputed border.
A 10,000-strong unit of soldiers previously assigned to India's western border has now been set aside to guard a stretch of its frontier with China, according to senior Indian officials. In addition, an existing contingent of 9,000 soldiers, already designated to the border, will be brought under the newly created fighting command.
The combined force will guard a 532 kilometer (330.57 miles) stretch of border that separates China’s Tibet region with India’s northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Ties between the nuclear armed neighbors have cratered since a deadly border clash in 2020 that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. As many as 21 rounds of military-diplomatic talks since the clash have made incremental progress, while India has since passed laws to discourage Chinese investment.
The troop movements won’t reduce tensions, Beijing said — nor will the the recent inauguration of a tunnel built under the Sela pass, which will give Indian troops easy access to areas close to the disputed border. China lodged a diplomatic protest over the development in northeastern Arunachal Pradesh region, an area China calls Zangnan and claims as its own.
China has consistently opposed India’s development projects and visits by Indian leaders in the region. The area, nestled in the Himalayas, is home to some of Hinduism’s holiest shrines and is seeing increased tourism.
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Indo-Pacific News - Geo-Politics & Defense News
@IndoPac_Info
#China Responds to #India Tensions With New Military Drills Near Border China has carried out a live-fire test at the contested border with India in a show of force as tensions between the two Asian giants fester. "The female missile platoon fired live ammunition at a new subsonic target aircraft for the first time on the Karakoram Plateau at an altitude of 4,300 meters.
The female soldiers found an 'enemy aircraft' due east and launched the missile after a countdown. The missile took off and accurately hit the target," state broadcaster China Central Television said on X-like Chinese platform Weibo on Monday. The live fire exercise by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) showcased an advanced surface-to-air missile system. Video footage of the test was viewed over 514,000 times on Weibo. The live-fire exercise by the People's Liberation Army took place in a strategic Karkorum plateau across from Eastern Ladakh, where China and India have been locked in a military stand-off since 2020.
Since June 2020, China and India have been in a tense military stand-off with thousands of military personnel deployed along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto boundary that divides the two Asian superpowers. India now considers Beijing as one of its primary strategic adversaries. On Monday, New Delhi tested the Agni-5 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV) to deter China's nuclear posturing. As reported by Indian current affairs magazine India Today, the Indian Army has moved an additional three divisions of troops alongside the existing three divisions already deployed at the border, all of which now face China. Even though at least 50,000 soldiers on the Chinese and Indian sides are immediately facing each other in the Eastern Ladakh region, there is known to be a far bigger deployment of troops in the rare areas of the tense border. The Indian Army now has between 150,000 and 200,000 soldiers facing China.
The PLA is said to have an equally large deployment of soldiers, up to 200,000 troops from the Xinjiang and Tibet Military Regions. Newsweek couldn't verify the exact number of PLA soldiers deployed on the border with India. The two countries have had 21 rounds of talks to resolve the military stand-off, with the most recent discussions held on February 19 at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in Eastern Ladakh. India is said to have deployed an additional 10,000 soldiers along the frontier with China.
"A 10,000-strong unit of soldiers previously assigned to the country's western border has now been set aside to guard a stretch of its frontier with China," Bloomberg reported on March 7, citing senior Indian officials. "We hope that India will work in the same direction with China and approach the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective. We should enhance mutual trust and avoid misunderstanding and misjudgment," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.
The Chinese foreign ministry responded to a recent comment by India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. "I think it's in our common interest that we should not have that many forces [there], it's in our common interest that we should observe agreements that we have. And today, it's not just in common interest, I believe it's in China's interest as well," Jaishankar said on Monday during an event in New Delhi. https://newsweek.com/china-india-xi
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1768656684136931466?s=20