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Tag: India China News

  • Chinese, Indian border troops start ‘synchronised’ disengagement in eastern Ladakh: China’s Defence Ministry

    By PTI
    BEIJING/NEW DELHI: The frontline troops of China and India at the south and north banks of the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh started “synchronised and organised” disengagement from Wednesday, the Chinese defence ministry said, in what is seen as a forward movement in the overall disengagement process to defuse the over nine-month border standoff.

    There was no official comment by either the Indian defence ministry or the Indian Army on the Chinese statement but people familiar with the development said both sides are in the process of pulling back their armoured units like tanks and armoured personnel carriers.

    The people mentioned above said specific steps like the withdrawal of armoured elements from the friction points were discussed threadbare at the ninth round of high-level military talks on January 24 that lasted for around 16 hours.

    The office of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, tweeted that he will make a statement in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday on the situation in eastern Ladakh.

    “Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh will make a statement in Rajya Sabha tomorrow regarding ‘Present Situation in Eastern Ladakh’,” it said.

    Authoritative sources in the Indian defence and military establishment did not refute the Chinese defence ministry’s statement on the developments in the northern and southern banks of Pangong lake, an area that witnessed major face-offs since the row erupted on May 5.

    People familiar with the situation in eastern Ladakh said both sides are in the process of pulling back their armoured units in line with steps agreed upon for overall disengagement in the last round of military talks, adding a clear picture will emerge soon.

    “The Chinese and Indian frontline troops at the southern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake start synchronised and organised disengagement from February 10,” spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defence Senior Colonel Wu Qian said in a brief statement in Beijing.

    The statement did not provide details.

    “This move is in accordance with the consensus reached by both sides at the 9th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting,” it said.

    Separately, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the frontline troops of the Chinese and Indian militaries began to conduct simultaneous and planned disengagement in the Pangong Lake area on Wednesday as per consensus reached at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries in Moscow in September and the ninth round of Corps commander-level talks.

    “We hope the Indian side will work with China to meet each other halfway, strictly implement the consensus reached between the two sides and ensure the smooth implementation of the disengagement process,” Wang Wenbin said in a statement.

    “This move is in accordance with the consensus reached by both sides at the 9th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting,” the official added.

    A source in the Indian military and defence establishment said there has been some “forward movements” but at the same time added that India will only go by what is happening on the ground.

    Both sides rushed a large number of battle tanks, armoured vehicles and heavy equipment to the treacherous and high-altitude areas of the region after tension escalated following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June last.

    Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the fierce hand-to-hand combat on June 15 in Galwan Valley, an incident that marked the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades.

    China is yet to disclose the number of its soldiers killed and injured in the clash though it officially admitted to have suffered casualties.

    According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35.

    At their ninth round of military talks, the Indian and Chinese armies agreed to push for an “early disengagement” of troops and resolved to continue “effective efforts” to stabilise and control the situation in eastern Ladakh.

    “The two sides agreed to continue their effective efforts in ensuring the restraint of the frontline troops, stabilise and control the situation along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of the China-India border, and jointly maintain peace and tranquillity,” said a joint statement after the talks.

    India has all along been maintaining that the disengagement process has to start simultaneously at all friction points and no selective approach was acceptable to it.

    India was specifically insisting on withdrawal of the troops of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA) from Finger 4 to Finger 8 on the north bank of Pangong Lake.

    The mountain spurs in the area are referred to as Fingers.

    On its part, the Chinese side was insisting on withdrawal of Indian troops from several strategic peaks on the southern bank of the lake.

    Around five months back, Indian troops occupied a number of strategic heights in the Mukhpari, Rechin La and Magar hill areas around the southern bank of the Pangong lake after the Chinese military attempted to intimidate them in the area.

    Close to 100,000 Indian and Chinese troops are deployed in eastern Ladakh amid continuing diplomatic and military talks to find an amicable solution to the standoff.

    Last month, Army chief Gen MM Naravane said that Indian troops will hold their ground as long as it takes to achieve the “national goals and objectives”.

    In December last, India and China held another round of diplomatic talks on the border row under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs.

    Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a slew of decisions including not to send more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoid taking any actions that may further complicate matters.

    This round was held with a specific agenda of exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.

    The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.

  • Armed forces responded appropriately to China’s attempts to change status quo along LAC: Government

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday said it will continue discussions with China to achieve the objective of disengagement of troops from all friction points and restoration of peace and tranquillity in eastern Ladakh at an early date.

    Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said this in Lok Sabha while replying to a question on details of in-person and virtual meetings between India and China since the standoff began last year.

    The minister’s comments came on a day the Chinese defence ministry said in Beijing that Indian and Chinese troops started “synchronised” disengagement at the south and north banks of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh.

    In his written reply, Muraleedharan said the Chinese military made several attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh since April-May last year and Indian armed forces “responded” to them “appropriately”.

    Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in eastern Ladakh for over nine months.

    “Since April/May 2020 the Chinese side had made several attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC in Western Sector. These attempts have been responded to appropriately by our armed forces,” Muraleedharan said in replying to a question.

    “It has been made clear to the Chinese side that such unilateral attempts are unacceptable. These actions have seriously disturbed the peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western sector,” he said.

    The government often refers to eastern Ladakh as western sector.

    Muraleedharan said diplomatic and military engagements with the Chinese side have continued in order to ensure complete disengagement from all friction points and full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

    He said six meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) and nine meetings of the senior commanders have been held so far.

    “Government will continue discussions with the Chinese side to achieve the objective of disengagement from all friction points and restoration of peace and tranquility in the India-China Border Areas at an early date,” he said.

    The Chinese defence ministry said the frontline troops of China and India at the south and north banks of the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh started “synchronised and organised” disengagement from Wednesday.

    There was no official comment by either the Indian defence ministry or the Indian Army on the Chinese statement.

    In responding to the question in Lok Sabha, Muraleedharan also referred to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on September 10 in Moscow.

    “The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions,” he said.

    Muraleedharan said the two foreign ministers also agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters.

    To a separate question, he said India received assistance from a few countries including Japan, the US, France, Germany and Israel in the form of medical equipment and grants-in-aid following the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Government should have fixed nails in Ladakh to stop China: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday attacked the Modi government saying that instead of fixing nails and digging the highway in Delhi to stop the protesting farmers, it should have done the same things in Ladakh to prevent the Chinese aggression.

    He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to the ‘mann ki baat’ of the farmers, a reference to the PM’s monthly radio address by the same name.

    “Had you fixed nails in Ladakh, then the Chinese forces would not have entered India. You did not fix nails in Ladakh, where 18 Indian Army personnel were killed. If you had 56-inch chest, you should have taught China a lesson,” he said while addressing a rally here.

    “Modiji does not utter the name of China even once. He would name everybody and everything, but he won’t the name of China,” he said.

    Owaisi alleged that the three farm laws were against the Indian Constitution because agriculture was a state subject and the Centre had no right to make laws on a state subject.

    He said that the farmers opposing the laws are branded as Khalistanis, Adivasi-Dalits become Naxals, and Muslims Jihadis.

    “Where is the country headed? How much hatred will you spread? I am asking you a question standing on your sarzameen (home turf). Why did Chinese forces enter India in 2020? Because China knows that people of India are not united, they are accusing each other using Love jihad, corona jihad. The government is spreading hatred instead of uniting people,” he alleged.

    The Hyderabad MP attacked the government over the rising fuel prices, and said, “A poor person’s vehicle does not run on air or Modi’s love, but on petrol and diesel.”

    He also called the coronavirus-induced lockdown as unconstitutional and said that it caused 10 crore job losses in the informal sector.

    “In Gujarat, people are being threatened in the name of GST; Hindus and Muslims are not allowed to sell property to each other without the intervention of collector inthe name of Disturbed Areas Act, and the state has a high number of stunted anaemic children and women…segregation index is the highest in Ahmedabad,” he said.

    “Modi made riverfront in Ahmedabad to show it to the world, but did not ensure proper drinking water facilities in Muslim and Dalit localities, proper flyover that causdes traffic jam,” he said.

    Owaisi also attacked the Congress saying that had the opposition party been good, it would have defeated the BJP.

    The Congress remained mum when the government shut down schools, did not raise voice demanding drinking water and proper drainage facilities for the people, he alleged.

    “You lack sense, planning, intellectual USP. You want to counter Hindutva with Hindutva, Hindu nationalism with Hindu nationalism. The AIMIM will counter Hindutva with the Constitution framed by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Hindu nationalism will be countered with Indian nationalism,” he said.

    Owaisi’s party has fielded 21 candidates for the civic polls in Ahmedabad.

  • ‘Chinese village’: AAPSU demands counter-measures against Beijing’s ‘expansionist’ move

    By PTI
    ITANAGAR: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) on Thursday said it has taken serious note of China reportedly establishing a village in Upper Subansiri district in the northeastern state and demanded that the Centre initiates appropriate counter-measures to check Beijing’s “expansionist” move.

    Condemning China’s “provocative” move, the apex students’ body of the state alleged that the Centre’s “lethargic and non-committal” approach other than mere lip service vis-a-vis Chinese antics is emboldening the neighbouring country to carry out their “expansionist design”.

    “Chinese claim over our state has given rise to myriad problems notably the stapled visa issue and Siang river imbroglio which still remains inconclusive till date despite the union bringing up the issue at the highest level several times,” AAPSU chief Hawa Bagang said in a statement.

    Bagang stated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and the people are proud and patriotic Indians.

    If the nation calls for duty, the youths are ready to stand up even with arms to defend the country, he said.

    The AAPSU also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the happenings in the frontier state seriously not only in terms of military deployment but also match with China in terms of infrastructure development and road connectivity.

  • Tracking report on intrusion into Arunachal Pradesh: Government

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI, GUWAHATI: Reacting to a report on China building a village within the Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday said the government is keeping a watch on all the developments that have a bearing on country’s security and territorial integrity.

    However, the district magistrate (DM) of Upper Subansiri, where the alleged encroachment has taken place, expressed ignorance of the issue. 

    “I just heard it. I am in the district but there is no such information from any source or villagers. The district administration has not received any such report,” DM Kanto Danggen said adding “the district is vast and remote. In many areas along the border, there is hardly any population.”

    Meanwhile, an MEA official said they have taken note of recent reports on China undertaking construction works along the border areas with India. “In response, our government too has strengthened the border infrastructure on our side,” the official said. The MLA from the region, Ninong Ering, said, “It is difficult to ascertain but China is building infrastructure along the whole Arunachal border.”

    Incidently, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who had been in his home district of Tawang for past three days on an official trip, left for Delhi on Monday. It was not immediately known if the visit was pre-scheduled. “I don’t know if it was prescheduled. He just went off,” a source in the Chief Minister’s Office said.

    The report of Chinese encroachment comes days after a US declassified document claimed that India has the capacity to counter Chinese provocations.

    “India remains preeminent in South Asia and takes the leading role in maintaining Indian Ocean security, increases engagement with Southeast Asia, and expands its economic, defence, and diplomatic cooperation with other US allies and partners in the region,” the document stated.

    ‘China has undertaken such activity in past too’

    An MEA official said China has undertaken such construction activity in the past several years. “The government takes all necessary measures to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” 

  • Indian Army has shown immense grit to match Chinese aggression in eastern Ladakh: Top commander

    By PTI
    UDHAMPUR: A top Indian Army commander on Friday said the force has shown immense grit and determination to match the Chinese aggression in eastern Ladakh and gave a befitting reply, adding talks on the military standoff are being held with the PLA from a position of “equivalence”.

    “Today, I am extremely satisfied with all the actions that the northern command has taken towards the end of August last year now, we are in a position of operational advantage and are negotiating with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from a position of equivalence,” General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-In-C) Northern Command, Lt Gen Y K Joshi told reporters here.

    Around four months back, Indian troops occupied a number of strategic heights in the Mukhpari, Rechin La and Magar hill areas around the southern bank of the Pangong lake after the PLA attempted to intimidate them in the area on the intervening night of August 29 and 30.

    The Indian Army has been holding onto the heights despite objections from Chinese military.

    Gen Joshi said the northern command is facing a triple challenge posed by China, Pakistan and the internal security situation.

    “At northern command, we are contending with a triple challenge. Firstly, we have a western adversary Pakistan which has not yet relented from using terror as a state policy at the northern border we have seen the Chinese belligerence along the LAC third is the internal security situation,” he said.

    “We all got involved in the fight against the (COVID-19) pandemic. It was followed by the PLA act in Ladakh which had us totally occupied… we had our hands full with the job,” the general said.

    The Chinese tried to change the status quo in eastern Ladakh which is being contested with resolve by the Indian Army, he added.

    Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a bitter standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 5 as multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks have not produced any breakthrough yet.

    Gen Joshi said the internal security situation is stable and under control but has propensity to flare up any time.

    “We are upholding the idea of India”, he added.