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Tag: India-China border

  • We shouldn’t expect favourable outcome in every round of border talks with China: Army Chief

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India should not expect favourable outcome in every round of talks being held with China to settle border issues and “points of divergence” with the neighbouring country will be resolved as long as both the nations keep talking, Army Chief General MM Naravane said on Thursday.

    “There were 4-5 points of friction (between India and China during the border talks) and we have resolved all but one. I am sure in another couple of rounds — I can’t give a definitive figure whether one more or two more — we will be able to resolve these issues also as we proceed,” Gen Naravane said.

    Earlier this month, India and China failed to make any headway in resolving the 17-month standoff in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh during the 13th round of military talks between the two countries.

    The Indian Army had on October 11 stated the “constructive suggestions” made by it at the 13th round of military talks were neither agreeable to the Chinese side nor Beijing could provide any “forward-looking” proposals.

    In an interaction at a defence conclave here, the Army Chief said that the situation at the eastern Ladakh border with China is better and more stable now from what existed almost a year ago.

    India and China have had a number of rounds of talks and as a result of those talks, we have been able to achieve a fair amount of disengagement, he added.

    “What I would like to put across is that we should not expect a favourable outcome in every round of talks. There are always going to be some points of convergence, some differences,” he said.

    “As long as we keep talking, we will be able to resolve those points of divergence and come closer and closer together and by and by resolve all the issues that are there,” the Army Chief said.

    The current border standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies erupted in May last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.

    Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    Gen Naravane said the talks and the interlocutions with China are taking place at the political plane, at the diplomatic level and at the military level.

    “So once all of this is put together and I am sure we will be able to come up with a satisfactory resolution. And when I say satisfactory, it has to be satisfactory for both the sides and I am confident that will happen sooner or later,” he said.

    He asserted that the Indian Army was not for a moment letting its guard down or imagining that things can not worsen in the future.

    “It is always our hope that all the differences can be resolved through dialogues and discussions but if that is not there and if the situation is forced upon us, then we are always ready to man our borders and protect our territorial integrity and sovereignty and that is a year-round affair,” he said.

    “It is not as if it is only during the summer months…we are 24×7 always ready to take on whatever is thrown at us,” he added.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, India and China completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area in August and in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February.

    As far as the last year or so is concerned, the two Cs — China and COVID-19 — did take up most of the Indian Army’s time, the Army Chief said.

    “Because of the challenges that were happening on the eastern Ladakh, we did have to mobilise a large number of forces in a very short time span but we were able to achieve that once again because of very good synergy between services,” he said.

    He also thanked the Indian Air Force because of whom the Indian Army were able to mobilise forces in a short span to eastern Ladakh.

    “I think it is the speed of our mobilisation and the speed with which we could induct forces over such difficult terrain and such difficult climatic conditions…that caught our adversary little bit by surprise and we were able to stabilise the situation,” he said.

  • India hopes China will work with it to bring satisfactory resolution to current issues: Foreign Secretary

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Asserting that peace and tranquillity in the border areas is a “sine qua non” for India and China to work together, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday said New Delhi hopes that Beijing will work with it to bring a satisfactory resolution to the current issues, keeping in view each other’s sensitivities and interests.

    In his remarks at a seminar on “Leveraging China’s Economy”, Shringla also said the developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh have “seriously disturbed” the peace and tranquillity in border areas, and this has obviously had an impact on the broader relationship too.

    The foreign secretary also referred to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks that the ability of India and China to work together will determine the Asian century.

    “For this to materialise, peace and tranquillity in the border areas is a sine qua non. He (Jaishankar) has also clearly articulated that development of our ties can only be based on mutuality — mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests should guide this process,” Shringla said.

    “We hope that the Chinese side will work with us to bring a satisfactory resolution to the current issues so as to make progress on our bilateral relations keeping in view each other’s sensitivities, aspirations and interests,” the foreign secretary said.

    The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area in August and in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector, according to sources.

    In his remarks, Shringla also talked about the issues of concerns in the Sino-India trade relationship such as the widening trade deficit and increase in trade barriers.

    “China is our largest neighbour. With its GDP reaching USD 14.7 trillion in 2020, China’s economy is the second-largest in the world. Under the shadow of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, China is the only major economy to have registered positive growth in 2020,” he said.

    Being the largest contributor to world trade and our largest trading partner, it is imperative for us to have a better understanding of China’s economy, Shringla said.

    He noted that India’s relations generally followed a positive trajectory since 1988 when the two country’s re-established contacts at the highest level.

    “We were engaged in developing a broad-based bilateral relationship. The advancement of ties in this period was clearly predicated on ensuring that peace and tranquillity were not disturbed. The areas of cooperation were not limited to bilateral but also had regional and global dimensions,” he said.

    It was also recognised that relations between India and China were in the interest of not only our two countries but also in the interest of peace, stability and security in the region and world at large, Shringla said at the seminar organised by the Centre for Contemporary China Studies.

    Noting that last year, the total trade volume between the two countries was around USD 88 billion, Shringla said in the first nine months of this year, the bilateral trade touched USD 90 billion, an increase of 49 per cent over last year.

    “At this rate, we are likely to attain the highest ever bilateral trade between two countries,” he said.

    The trade, however, remains unbalanced with a large trade balance in favour of China, Shringla said.

    “Our trade deficit concerns are two-fold the first is the actual size of the deficit. The trade deficit for the nine months period stood at USD 47 billion. This is the largest trade deficit we have with any country. Second, is the fact that the imbalance has continuously been widening,” the foreign secretary said.

    There are a number of market access impediments including a whole host of non-tariff barriers, for most of our agricultural products and the sectors we are competitive in, such as pharmaceutical, IT/ITES, etc., he said.

    “We have highlighted that widening deficit and increase in trade barriers are issues of concern. These have been regularly flagged at the highest level, most recently at the 2nd Informal Summit between our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and the Chinese President in Chennai in 2019,” Shringla said.

    He also said the government remains firm in its commitment to place this trade relationship on a more sustainable footing and raising these issues at all appropriate occasions with the Chinese side.

    Developments since then, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have not been helpful in our efforts to address these concerns, Shringla said.

    “Furthermore, the developments along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh have seriously disturbed the peace and tranquillity in border areas. This has obviously had an impact on the broader relationship too,” he said.

    “Even as we continue to pursue these issues with China, we also need to do work at home. That is why, Atmanirbhar Bharat — an India with greater capabilities not just helping itself but being a force for good in the international arena, becomes important,” Shringla said.

    He asserted that the digital economy is now an integral part of India’s development story.

  • Increasing activities by China in depth areas of eastern sector: Eastern Army Commander

    By PTI

    RUPA: China has increased the intensity of military exercises and deployment of troops in its depth areas opposite the Arunachal Pradesh sector and India has correspondingly readied contingency plans to deal with any eventualities, Eastern Army Commander Lt.Gen.Manoj Pande said on Tuesday.

    The commander also asserted that the Indian preparedness to respond to any contingency is of a “very high order”.

    Lt.Gen.Pande said both sides are attempting to develop infrastructure closer to the Line of Actual Control(LAC) and that creates certain issues at times.

    “Since the infrastructure has come up close to the LAC, there has been a marginal increase in border defence troops,” he told a group of visiting journalists.

    Lt.Gen.Pande said Chinese military exercises are joint operations among various arms of its defence forces that are carried out under an integrated approach and there was an increase in the intensity and duration of the drills.

    He said new villages have come up on the Chinese side of the border in certain areas and India has taken note of it in its operational strategy as the habitats could be used for military purpose as well.

    The commander overseeing the Indian Army’s operational readiness along the over 1,300-km-long LAC in the eastern theatre also said its Mountain Strike Corps has now been fully operationalised and it has carried out validation and integrated training with other formations.

    “All its units, the combat units, the combat support and the logistics units have been fully equipped.”

    Giving an account of India’s overall military modernisation, Lt.Gen.Pande said that an in-principle approval has been given to new combat formations called the Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) which can mobilise fast with a more effective approach.

    The IBGs will comprise a mix of infantry, artillery, air defence, tanks and logistics units and the new set up is expected to revamp the Army’s war fighting capabilities, particularly along the borders with China and Pakistan.

    “We are looking at the IBG model for the Mountain Strike Corps essentially so that we have better option for its deployment,” he said.

    On Chinese activities in the eastern sector, he said there has been a marginal increase in its deployment of troops in some areas.

    “The annual training exercise that the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) carries out has seen some increase in the level of activities in the depth areas. Some of the reserve formations which the PLA mobilised continue to remain in their training areas that are in the operational depth areas,” he added.

    “The areas of exercise are in depth of LAC and these are their traditional training areas and the focus, as per inputs available to us, has been integrated joint operations between various arms of their defence forces.”

    The commander said India has taken a number of steps and the foremost among them is enhancing surveillance both close to the LAC and the depth areas by synergising all surveillance resources right from the strategic level to the tactical level.

    “We have adequate forces that are available in each sector to deal with any contingency that may arise. We are practising and rehearsing various contingencies that may arise,” he said.

    Asked about the recent agreement between China and Bhutan to resolve their decades-old boundary dispute and whether it will impact India’s strategic interests in the areas around Doklam tri-junction, the Army Commander did not give a direct reply but said authorities concerned in the government must have taken correct note of it and would be acting accordingly.

    On China’s violation of various border agreements and protocols that triggered the eastern Ladakh standoff, Lt.Gen.Pande indicated that the issue is being discussed at a higher level.

    “In terms of our larger guidance, strategic guidance in terms of dealing with situation on the LAC is to respect the mutually agreed protocols and agreements, and that has been our effort, notwithstanding what has been the action or response from the other side,” he said.

    “Consequent to what happened and what we need to do in the future, is something I reckon is being looked into at the larger level.”

    The senior commander also said that a fourth hotline between the two sides in the sector has been activated recently.

    Asked about Chinese activities in Doklam, where the armies of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in 2017, Lt.Gen.Pande said both sides are fully aware of the sensitivities of each other in the area.

    “I would say in terms of increase in troops level, there has not been any major increase and the infrastructure remained what it was earlier,” he said.

    On Aspahila, another disputed area, he said some infrastructure development close to the Chinese side of the LAC in terms of setting up of habitats was observed and that led to deployment of more number of troops.

    On the situation in Naku La in North Sikkim region, he said these are areas where patrolling teams come face-to-face and there are standard drills to resolve the issues.

    “At times the face-offs last a little longer but they are resolved as per laid down norms,” he said.

    Lt.Gen.Pande further said that military equipment under emergency procurement are being procured for the eastern theatre just like the way such systems are inducted into the formations in eastern Ladakh.

    “I would say equal number of equipment is also being inducted into the eastern theatre with a focus on mobility,” he said, adding the Army is also looking at procuring counter drone technology both in kinetic and non-kinetic domain.

    He said the focus has also been on setting up new logistics storage bases in forward areas as underground ones too enhance overall capabilities.

    Asked about the Siliguri corridor that connects the Northeast region with rest of India, he said radicalisation and separatist tendencies are major areas of concern.

    “Siliguri corridor is sensitive for us as there have been challenges of radicalisation and separatist tendencies. We are looking at a ‘whole of the nation approach’ to mitigate the threat in normal time and the hybrid threat as and when it manifests,” he said.

    “Recently a joint mechanism under the Army has been set up that has proved to be effective in coordinating actions of various agencies,” he added.

  • India enhances day and night surveillance over LAC in Arunachal sector

    By PTI

    MISAMARI: India has significantly cranked up its day and night surveillance at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Arunachal Pradesh sector using a fleet of remotely piloted aircraft and other assets as part of a broad strategy to strengthen overall military preparedness to deal with any Chinese misadventure, people familiar with the developments said on Sunday.

    As tensions boiled over between the two countries following the Galwan Valley clashes last year, India ramped up its overall deployment along the nearly 3,400-km-long LAC besides speeding up infrastructure development to gain a tactical advantage.

    The people cited above said a sizeable fleet of Israeli-made Heron medium-altitude long-endurance drones is carrying out round-the-clock surveillance over the LAC in the mountainous terrain and sending crucial data and images to command and control centres.

    ALSO REA: Our leaders will routinely travel to Arunachal Pradesh as they do to any other state – India tells China

    Along with the drones, the Indian Army’s aviation wing has also been deploying the Weapon System Integrated (WSI) variant of the Advanced Light Helicopter Rudra in the region, adding more teeth to its tactical missions in the region, they said.

    In an expansion of its aviation wing in the region, the Army has come out with an independent aviation brigade in the region this year to bolster its overall operational preparedness in the sensitive region, they said.

    They said though the Heron drones were first deployed in the region around four-five years back, now the integration of surveillance has been significantly enhanced under the ‘sensor to shooter’ concept to employ military forces at short notice for any possible operational objectives.

    The deployment of the WSI version of the ALH helicopters has also provided the Army an added advantage to carry out various missions in the high-altitude areas.

    ALSO READ: China objects to Vice President Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh

    Asked about the weapons package of the ALH helicopters, they refused to divulge the details but said it is one of the best and would be very effective against the adversary.

    “Overall, our day and night surveillance capability has seen massive upgrades since last year and we are in a much better position to deal with any eventualities in the region,” said one of the people cited above.

    The Indian Army is also procuring a fleet of Heron TP drones on lease from Israel that are capable of operating for nearly 45 hours at an altitude of up to 35,000 feet.

    The Heron TP drones are equipped with automatic taxi-takeoff and landing (ATOL) and satellite communication (SATCOM) systems for an extended range.

    ALSO READ: India, China troops face-off at Arunachal’s Tawang; PLA men detained temporarily

    They said additional roads, bridges and railway infrastructure are being built in the Arunachal sector considering their strategic requirement in the wake of evolving security dynamics in the region.

    The government is also working on connecting Tawang with a railway network as part of the decision to enhance infrastructure in the region.

    The people cited above also said that infrastructure at almost all airfields along the LAC including the Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) was enhanced as per operational requirements.

    The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    The tension escalated following the deadly clashes in Galwan Valley on June 15 last year.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area in August and in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February.

    However, the last round of military talks on October 10 ended in a stalemate.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

  • Green nod to infra projects along border in Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  In a push to increasing vigil along the India-China border in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, the Union environment ministry has given approval to over 40 infrastructure projects, mainly in areas of recent skirmishes, for construction of approach roads and tunnels, setting up of border outposts and deployment of operational assets to strengthen defence coverage. 

    The posts and roads cleared will strengthen vigil in the area of recent flashpoints between Indian and Chinese forces. The projects passing through wildlife sanctuaries and reserves were taken up by the ministry’s Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL). The projects have been cleared after members of the committee unanimously agreed that “proposals  may  be  recommended  in  view  of  the importance  of  the  border  outposts  for national  security”.    

    The SC-NBWL recommended over 30 proposals for construction of border outposts by Indo-Tiberan Border Police and road passing through the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary and Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary in Ladakh.

    The ministry also approved nine proposals for setting up border outposts in a total of 13.4 hectare passing from Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary. “Distance of these outposts from the international border ranges from 4 km to 11 km. The border outposts are important from a defence point of view   in areas passing through wildlife sanctuaries and reserves,” informed the Chief Wildlife Warden, Arunachal Pradesh.  

    The proposal for construction of Nechipu Tunnel with an approach road  to  connect  the  already  existing  BCT  (Balipara-Charidwar-Tawang)  Road  was approved after the committee was apprised that the proposed tunnel will bypass a  dense fog zone where visibility  is at times restricted to 4-5 metres. This is used by the army  and local residents.

    A proposal for use of 9.51 hectare of forest land from Bahu Conservation Reserve for deployment of operational assets to strengthen defence coverage to Jammu Region by Indian Air Force was approved. “The proposed area has proximity with the Army base in Sunjwan and it will strengthen  defence coverage to the Jammu region,” the committee was told.

  • Indian Army rescues 16 ITBP personnel stranded near India-China border

    By PTI

    PITHORAGARH (Uttarakhand): Sixteen ITBP personnel stranded due to inclement weather in Kuti valley near the Sino-India border were rescued on Saturday by the Panchshul brigade of the Indian Army.

    The ITBP personnel were patrolling in the rugged terrain of the valley when they were caught in bad weather, an Army officer said.

    “When our troops from Panchshul brigade learned that ITBP personnel had been trapped in the tough and rugged region of Kuti valley near the India-China border, they jumped immediately into action and rescued them swiftly,” Captain Kuldeep Singh of Panchshul brigade said.

  • Border incidents with China will continue till agreement is reached: Army chief General MM Naravane

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Border incidents between India and China will continue to occur till a boundary agreement is reached between the two countries, Army Chief General MM Naravane said on Thursday.

    Recent developments in Afghanistan “have definitely been the focus” of the Indian Army that continues to evaluate threat perceptions and formulate strategies accordingly, the Army chief added while addressing a gathering at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

    Discussing China during the annual session meeting of the industry body, he said, “…we have an outstanding border issue. We are again well prepared to meet any misadventure that may occur as we have demonstrated in the past. Such kinds of incidents will continue to occur till such time that a long-term solution is reached, and that is to have a boundary agreement. And that should be the thrust of our efforts so that we have lasting peace along the northern (China) border.”

    Referring to Afghanistan, he said the Indian Army “or the armed forces for that matter continue to carry out periodic evaluation of threat perceptions”. He noted that based on those evaluations, the Indian Army formulates strategies and doctrines that are needed to meet future threats. “This is a continuous process that never stops,” he added. Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15.

    Expressing its concerns about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, India had on September 20 had said the country’s territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts.

    Naravane said that as far as the terrorist threat is concerned, the Indian Army is ready to meet all challenges. “We have a very dynamic counterinsurgency and counterterrorist grid in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a dynamic grid and it is based on threat perception and the escalating levels of attempts by our western neighbour (Pakistan) to push in more and more terrorists,” he said.

    Based on ups and downs, we also recalibrate our levels of operations, he added. The current border standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies erupted in May last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.

    Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. The row escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 last year. Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in the clashes that marked the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades.

    In February 2021, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in Gogra area last month.

    In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in the sensitive sector.

    In 2017, Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam tri-junction which even triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC.

    China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

  • China’s ‘provocative behaviour’ disturbed peace in eastern Ladakh: India; rejects fresh Chinese comments on Galwan

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI/BEIJING: India on Friday strongly rejected China’s fresh comments blaming it for the Galwan valley clashes and asserted that the “provocative behaviour and unilateral” attempts by the Chinese side to alter the status quo in eastern Ladakh resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity in the mountainous region.

    Reacting to the Chinese remarks made earlier in the day, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also said Chinese actions have impacted bilateral relations.

    A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson had again claimed at a media briefing in Beijing that the Galwan valley clashes took place because India “encroached upon China’s territory” and violated all agreements.

    “We reject such statements. Our position with regard to developments last year along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent,” Bagchi said in response to a question on the fresh remarks by China.

    “It was the provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity. This has also impacted the bilateral relations,” he said.

    ALSO READ: Peace in border areas important, but it is not the ‘whole story’ of bilateral ties: Chinese envoy amid Ladakh standoff

    Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in deadly clashes with the Chinese troops in Galwan Valley on June 15 last year that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

    In February, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher.

    “As emphasized by the external affairs minister in his meeting with Chinese foreign minister earlier this month, it is our expectation that the Chinese side will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” Bagchi said.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had met in Dushanbe on the sidelines of the SCO summit last week.

    ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi targets PM Narendra Modi over eastern Ladakh standoff

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that all the agreements and treaties signed between China and India on upholding the peace and stability in the area of the LAC have played an important role in upholding stability in the border areas.

    “Last year’s Galwan valley incident took place because India violated all the signed agreements and treaties and encroached upon Chinese territory and illegally crossed the line,” Zhao claimed.

    “We hope India will abide by all the signed agreements and uphold peace and stability in the border region with concrete actions,” Zhao said in reply to a question on India’s border patrol protocols.

    At the meeting with Wang on September 16, Jaishankar conveyed that the two sides should work for an early resolution of the remaining issues.

    According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two foreign ministers agreed that the military and diplomatic officials of both sides should meet again and discuss resolving the remaining issues at the earliest.

    The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in Gogra area in eastern Ladakh last month.

    In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.

  • Peace in border areas important, but it is not the ‘whole story’ of bilateral ties: Chinese envoy amid Ladakh standoff

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong has said peace and tranquillity in the border areas with India is important but it is not the “whole story” of the bilateral relations and that the current status of the ties is obviously not in the fundamental interest of either side, remarks that came amid the Ladakh military standoff.

    After the standoff erupted in eastern Ladakh in May last year, India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for the overall development of relations between the two countries.

    In an address at a ‘Track II Dialogue’ on China-India relations on Thursday, Sun, the Ambassador to India, said the two countries should take the path of peaceful development rather than choosing a “wrong path” of confrontation and conflict and that they should “build bridges instead of walls”.

    At present, China-India relations have come to a crossroad once again, and there is a need to make the right choice rather than undercutting each other, Sun said at the dialogue co-hosted by the School of International Studies of Sichuan University, China Center for South Asian Studies and Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

    “Ultimately, China and India should work together to take the broad road of mutual respect, dialogue, cooperation and mutual benefit, rather than the narrow log bridge of mutual confrontation, suspicion, attrition and zero-sum competition,” he added.

    “We should avoid taking a part for the whole or losing sight of the forest for the trees. For example, peace and tranquillity in the border areas is important, but it is not the whole story of the bilateral relations.”

    Without specifically referring to the Ladakh border row, the Ambassador said since last year, China-India relations witnessed difficulties “unseen for many years” and it remained at a low level.

    Sun said China and India should enhance mutual trust, strengthen dialogue and properly handle differences and not allow them to become disputes.

    He also emphasised that India and China should uphold strategic autonomy and grasp fate in their own hands, noting that some countries, with their ideological bias and ‘Cold War’ mentality, vigorously seek closed and exclusive “small cliques” with the aim of containing “a third party” and stoking “bloc confrontation” and geopolitical games.

  • ‘Chronology Samajhiye’: Rahul Gandhi targets PM Narendra Modi over eastern Ladakh standoff

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that he is “scared” of China.

    “Mr 56-inch is scared of China,” he said on Twitter, putting out a short video clip detailing the events at the border with China.

    The video, titled ‘chronology samajhiye’ (understand the chronology), is a compilation of news reports on the Sino-India military standoff that erupted in eastern Ladakh on May 5 last year.

    Mr 56” is scared of China.Mr 56” चीन से डरता है। pic.twitter.com/taRfoRzMEl
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 24, 2021
    The 54-second video also showed the chronology of the events in eastern Ladakh since the standoff broke out.

    Gandhi and his Congress party have been critical of Prime Minister Modi’s policy on China.

    India on Friday asserted that the “provocative behaviour and unilateral” attempts by the Chinese side to alter the status quo in eastern Ladakh resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity in the mountainous region.

    Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi rejected China’s fresh comments blaming India for the Galwan valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel and at least five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed.

    “Our position with regard to developments last year along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent…It was the provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity. This has also impacted the bilateral relations,” Bagchi said.