News Analysis India

Tag: India-China standoff

  • ‘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.

  • India wants solution to border dispute with China through dialogue: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that India wants a solution to the border dispute with China through dialogue and asserted that the government would never allow the sanctity of borders to be violated.

    The Modi government has made it clear to the forces that any unilateral action on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) should not be ignored, he said. Singh was delivering virtually the third Balramji Dass Tandon Memorial Lecture organised by Panjab University on the issue of national security.

    The defence minister said that there have been “perception differences” on the border with China. “Despite this, there are some agreements, protocols which the armies of both countries follow to conduct patrols,” he said.

    ALSO READ| Afghan situation raises new security questions: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

    Referring to the clashes in eastern Ladakh last year, Singh said Chinese forces had ignored the “agreed protocols”. “We cannot allow the Chinese Army PLA to act on the LAC in a unilateral manner under any circumstances. That is what the Indian Army did that day in Galwan and bravely confronted the PLA soldiers and forced them to retreat,” he said while terming it as a “historic” incident.

    India wants a solution to the border dispute with China through dialogue, the defence minister said and asserted that the government will never compromise on issues of the “country’s borders, its honour and self-respect”. “We will never allow the sanctity of borders to be violated,” he said.

    Recalling the Galwan incident, he said the bravery, valour and restraint shown by the Indian Army are incomparable and unparalleled.

    In the first deadly clash in the border area in nearly five decades, 20 Indian soldiers were killed on June 15 last year in the Galwan Valley in fierce hand-to-hand combat with Chinese troops, triggering a large deployment of troops and heavy weaponry by both armies at the friction points in eastern Ladakh.

    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.

    In a significant forward movement towards the restoration of peace and tranquility in the region, the Indian and Chinese armies completed the disengagement process and restored the pre-standoff ground position in Gogra in eastern Ladakh after 15 months.

    The development came after the 12th round of military talks between the two sides on July 31 at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point in eastern Ladakh. Earlier, the Indian and Chinese frontline troops had conducted the first synchronised disengagement at the south and north banks of the Pangong lake in February.

    The Army is trained to press the trigger on seeing the movement of the enemy, but the Indian Army has shown both courage and restraint while working with great maturity, Rajnath Singh said. He said despite this, questions were raised by some opposition leaders on the Army’s capability.

    The defence minister said India has learnt a lot from the 1962 war against China. On improving infrastructure, he said that the Atal Tunnel project in Rohtang, which was on hold for a long time, was completed by the Modi government. “This tunnel has strategic importance,” he said.

    The Border Roads Organisation is developing infrastructure projects and all-weather connectivity was being given to Ladakh, he said, adding work on several alternative roads has started. The minister said it will also help the people who live in border areas as these people have “strategic importance for us”. “Keeping their interests in mind, it is necessary to strengthen the border infrastructure,” he said.

    Referring to the situation in the Northeast, the minister said an era of peace has come in this region in the last seven years.

    There was a time when the entire region was in the grip of insurgency, he said and dubbed the restoration of peace in the Northeast as the “biggest strategic victory” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure.

    The minister said the government has succeeded in controlling Left Wing Extremism as well in the last seven years. When the BJP government was formed in 2014, as many as 160 districts were facing the Naxal problem, while this number reduced to 50 in 2019.

  • Corps Commanders agree to disengage from Gogra, reply from Chinese government awaited 

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The military hierarchy of India and China which met under the leadership of Corps Commanders took a decision to disengage from Gogra (Patrolling Point 17A). “Both the Corp Commanders agreed to disengage from Gogra but the final go ahead is to come from the political hierarchies of both the government,” a senior official said.

    There is a platoon level strength stationed in standoff mode at Gogra. Once the go-ahead comes, soldiers will retreat to a designated position on ground and will leave a buffer zone in between on the pattern of the buffer zone at the North Bank. During the 12th meeting held on Saturday Lt Gen PGK Menon Corps Commander (14 Crops) led the delegation from Indian Army and Maj Gen Liu Lin, Commander South Xinjian Military District of the Chinese PLA.

    In an earlier step towards ameliorating the tensions both India and China had earlier disengaged their troops along with their weapons and equipment including tanks, artillery guns and mechanized vehicles and had created buffer zones at the North and South banks of the Pangong Tso.

    The Chinese troops at the North Bank had moved back North of Finger 8 and Indian soldiers retreated close to Finger 3. The area in between will be the buffer zone with a temporary moratorium on patrolling from both sides.

    Also, the troops were disengaged from Galwan (Patrolling Point 14) which was the sight of deadly skirmishes leading to loss of lives of soldiers from both the Armies.

    As reported earlier by the TNIE the officials on ground had indicated the disengagement to take place both at Gogra and Hotspring (Patrolling Point 15) but the decision could be arrived at one of the two.

    The Chinese rushed in soldiers after the clashes at Finger 4 in May 2020 and the standoff deployment was done at both the Banks of the Pangong Tso, Hotspring, Gogra, Galwan. The Standoff also existed at Depsang and Demchok.

    The rallies of talks have been to bring the deployment level to the status quo ante, which existed prior to May 2020. There are mirror deployments from both sides with the Chinese moving in four divisions along the Eastern Ladakh Line of Actual Control. Indian army has also mobilised and stationed four divisions to counter any movement and also to handle the standoff deployment.

    Other than talks at the various levels, the hotline was used extensively. There have been frantic talks which used to be up to five hotline calls in a day. “The Hot Line talks between May 2020 and till July have been 1450 times.” said an official. A new hotline, sixth so far, was established on Sunday between Indian Army in Kongra La, North Sikkim and PLA at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region to further the spirit of trust and cordial relations along the borders.

    There have been 12 meetings so far between the Corps Commanders (Senior Higher Military Commander Level: SCML), 10 between the Division Commanders (Higher Military Commander Level: HCML) and 55 Delegation Level (Sector Commanders or Brigadier Level).

  • India, China agree to resolve remaining issues in eastern Ladakh expeditiously: Joint statement

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Indian and Chinese armies have agreed to resolve the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh in an “expeditious manner” and described their 12th round of military talks as “constructive”, according to a joint statement on Monday.

    Two days after the India-China military talks, the joint statement, issued here by the Indian Army said both sides had a “candid and in-depth exchange” relating to disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas.

    “The two sides noted that this round of meeting was constructive, which further enhanced mutual understanding. They agreed to resolve these remaining issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations,” it added.

    It said the two sides also agreed to continue effective efforts in ensuring stability along the LAC in the region and jointly maintain peace and tranquillity.

    “The two sides also agreed that in the interim they will continue their effective efforts in ensuring stability along the LAC in the Western Sector and jointly maintain peace and tranquillity,” the statement added.

  • Rajnath Singh apprises senior leaders AK Antony, Sharad Pawar of India-China standoff

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Congress Leader AK Antony and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar on Friday and briefed them about the prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Eastern Ladakh. 

    Both Antony and Pawar have served as defence ministers of the country.

    Sources in the defence ministry said, “CDS Gen Bipin Rawat and Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane were present during the briefing.”

    The meeting is viewed as an outreach initiative of the government ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 19.

    Recently, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had walked out of a parliamentary standing committee meeting of defence ministry while demanding that it should discuss the border issues the border tension with China though it was not part of the agenda.

    Rahul Gandhi had been alleging that India ceded land to China as the Armies of the two countries had clashed in Eastern Ladakh in May 2020 which had led to standoff at multiple points and there are more than 50,000 troops still deployed along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.

    This meeting between Rajnath Singh and the two former defence ministers took place a day after Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had met in Tajikistan during the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional grouping of eight nations.

    The two agreed that the resolution of the border situation be prioritised as the prolongation of the existing situation was not in the interest the two countries.

    “Highlighted that unilateral change of status quo is not acceptable. Full restoration and maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas is essential for development of our ties. Agreed on convening an early meeting of the Senior Military Commanders,” the Foreign Minister tweeted.

  • Worrying: China is creating permanent structures in Ladakh

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The apprehensions of a long haul along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh have started manifesting on the ground as the Chinese forces have been creating permanent structures in areas wherever the Peoples’ Liberation Army troops are deployed. This comes after the Indian Air Force Chief confirmed that the Chinese are improving their air infrastructure.

    Sources in the security establishment said that “the Chinese have been creating permanent structures, including those required for defences and habitation of the troops”. In view of the Chinese move, India has also been building permanent defences and structures for habitation but these will take some time, added the source.

    Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria had said in the first week of July that China had strengthened its infrastructure and improved the efficiency of its air operations. Since May 2020, the PLA has moved its soldiers along the LAC at several points, forcing the Indian army to counter the Chinese move with its own deployments. Although there has been disengagement of troops and equipment from the north and suth banks of Pangong Tso since then, the standoff continuing in areas like Hot Spring, Gogra Post and Depsang. 

    Defence Analyst Maj-Gen (retd) S B Asthana calls it a furtherance of the Chinese ‘incremental encroachment strategy’. “China, in the overall design under incremental encroachment strategy, is trying to enforce the infra development and its claim along its perception of LAC and in that context, is trying to settle down villages and make permanent structures so that over a period, its claim gets strengthened.” 

    “We should also improve our infrastructure along our perception of LAC and also make permanent structures and settle down villages so that the Chinese don’t succeed in their game plan,” he suggested as a counter move. India has ramped up road-building along the LAC and has also mobilised the troops with more than 50,000 personnel stationed in eastern Ladakh to thwart any move by the PLA men. 

  • China not observing border agreements has strained relation: S Jaishankar

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that Beijing not observing agreements has led to the disturbance of the foundation of India-China ties.

    “I would say for the last 40 years we had a very stable relation with Beijing. China emerged as the second-largest trade partner. But for the last one year, there has been a lot of concern about the relationship because China has not observed agreements that it had signed up to when it came to our border,” the minister said in response to a question on China-India relations at the Primakov Institute of World Economy & International Relations in Moscow.

    Jaishankar arrived in Moscow for a three-day visit and is expected to hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov later in the day. The leaders will discuss bilateral issues and the deteriorating Afghan situation following the US departure of US troops. 

    On a question on the possibility of nuclear arms race between the two countries, Jaishankar dismissed it saying the evolution of the Chinese nuclear program has a much larger dynamic than India. “I don’t believe there is a nuclear arms race between India and China. China became a nuclear power in 1964, India in 1998.”

    On relations with Russia, Jaishankar said that there is no doubt that relations between the two countries was among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War.  “Russians will surely recall the ups and downs in their ties with the United States, Europe, China or Japan, or for that matter, Turkey and Iran. On their part, objective Indians would also recognize that this was the case with them as well,” he said.

    “Where the India-Russia bilateral ties are concerned, there have been changes — even issues — from time to time.  The paradox though is that precisely because it has held so steady, this relationship is sometimes taken for granted. The case for its constant nurturing is therefore as powerful, if not more, than with the more volatile ones.”

    India, Iran discuss situation in AfghanistanJaishankar discussed the Afghanistan situation with the Iranian leadership during a stopover in Tehran en route Moscow. “The two sides exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They also discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan… Both sides discussed joint connectivity initiatives in the region including Chabahar,” the MEA said.

  • Early completion of disengagement could pave way for de-escalation: India on eastern Ladakh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India on Thursday reiterated that only early completion of disengagement in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh could pave the way for both Indian and Chinese troops to consider de-escalation and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

    At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said such a step could enable progress in bilateral relations between the two countries.

    “I would like to reiterate that only early completion of disengagement in the remaining areas could pave the way for the two sides to consider de-escalation of forces and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquillity and enable progress on overall bilateral relations,” he said.

    India and China held a virtual meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs last month as part of the dialogue process to resolve the standoff.

    In the meeting, the two sides agreed to hold the next round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.

    “You would recall that the 22nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on the border was held on June 25. The two sides also agreed to hold the 12th round of senior commanders meeting at an early date. We will certainly share any update once we have that,” Bagchi said.

    The 11th round of Corps Commander-level talks between the two sides on the border row was held on April 9.

    India and China were locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year.

    However, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks.

    The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points.

    There was no visible forward movement in disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points as the Chinese side did not show flexibility in their approach on it at the 11th round of military talks.

    Last month, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane said that there can be no de-escalation without complete disengagement at all friction points in eastern Ladakh and that the Indian Army is prepared for all contingencies in the region.

    Gen Naravane also said that India is dealing with China in a “firm” and “non-escalatory” manner to ensure the sanctity of its claims in eastern Ladakh and that it was even open to initiating confidence-building measures.

    India has been insisting on complete disengagement in remaining friction points to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ladakh.

  • India, China should be able to achieve status quo in eastern Ladakh in gradual manner: CDS

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India and China should be able to achieve status quo in eastern Ladakh in a gradual manner as both sides understand that it is in the best interest of ensuring peace and tranquillity in the region, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said on Friday.

    In an address at a think-tank, Gen Rawat, at the same time, said that India must remain prepared for “any misadventure” and respond accordingly as it has done in the past “All I would say that keep your guard up, remain prepared; do not take things lightly. We must also be prepared for any misadventure and respond accordingly. We have responded in the past and will do so in the future,” he said replying to a question.

    About the resolution of the prolonged standoff, Gen Rawat said both sides are engaged in negotiations political, diplomatic and military levels to resolve the row.

    “It will take time. I think in a gradual manner, we should be able to achieve the status quo because if you do not achieve the status quo and remain in this kind of a position, it could lead to misadventure at some time,” he said.

    “Therefore, both the nations understand that returning to the status quo is in the best interest of ensuring peace and tranquillity to which our nation is committed,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Situation along LAC normal since February disengagement in Pangong areas: Army chief on Ladakh row

    Asked whether China has gone back on its word on disengagement from remaining friction points, he said there is suspicion on both sides and India too moved a large number of troops and resources there.

    “There is suspicion on both sides because while the other side has deployed their forces and created infrastructure, we are also not lagging behind anymore. We have also moved a large number of troops and resources. There is a kind of suspicion on both sides as to what can happen,” the Chief of Defence Staff said.

    When referred to reports of China increasing military presence in the region, the Chief of Defence Staff said: “I think they realised that Indian armed forces cannot be taken lightly. Indian armed forces are no longer the armed forces of 1961. This is a strong armed force and it is not a pushover.

    “They will stand up to what they worth. I think that is what has been realised.”

    India and China on June 25 held another round of diplomatic talks on the border row during which they agreed to hold the next round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.

    At the virtual meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs, the two sides had a “frank exchange” of views and decided to maintain dialogue to reach a mutually acceptable solution for withdrawal of troops in all friction points to enable progress in the overall ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

    India and China were locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year.

    However, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks.

    The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points.

    India has been particularly pressing for disengagement of troops in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.

    India has been insisting on returning to the status quo of April 2020 in the region.

    According to military officials, each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control in the sensitive sector.

    There was no visible forward movement in disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points as the Chinese side did not show flexibility in their approach on it at the 11th round of military talks.

  • No de-escalation without complete disengagement at all friction points: Army Chief Gen Naravane on Ladakh standoff with China

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: In a clear and unambiguous message to China, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Friday said there can be no de-escalation without complete disengagement at all friction points in eastern Ladakh, and that the Indian Army is prepared for all contingencies in the region.

    In an exclusive interview to PTI, Gen Naravane said India is dealing with China in a “firm” and “non-escalatory” manner to ensure the sanctity of its claims in eastern Ladakh, and that it was even open to initiating confidence-building measures.

    It has been more than a year since the military standoff between the two sides erupted in eastern Ladakh on May 5, 2020 during which there were fatalities on both sides for the first time in 45 years.

    They have made limited progress in achieving disengagement at the Pangong lake area while negotiations for similar steps at other friction points remained deadlocked.

    Gen Naravane asserted that the Indian Army is currently holding onto all important areas in the high-altitude region and it has adequate personnel in the form of “reserves” to respond to any contingencies.

    “We are very clear that no de-escalation can take place before disengagement at all friction points. India and China have signed a number of border agreements which have been unilaterally breached by the People’s Liberation Army(PLA),” he said.

    “Though we want peace and tranquillity at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and are open to initiating confidence-building measures, we remain prepared for all contingencies.”

    He also said the situation along the northern border is under control and that the coming rounds of military talks with China will focus on restoring the status quo ante of April 2020.

    “Indian Army is very clear that no loss of territory or unilateral change in status quo will be permitted. We are dealing with the Chinese in a firm and non-escalatory way, ensuring the sanctity of our claims in eastern Ladakh,” he added.

    To a question on when a resolution to the standoff can be expected in areas like Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang in eastern Ladakh, the Army Chief said it was difficult to predict the timeline.

    “The Indian Army maintains all protocols and agreements between the two countries while the PLA escalated the situation by utilisation of unorthodox weapons and amassing a large number of troops,” he said, in a reference to the Galwan Valley clashes last June.

    “Troops are currently holding all important areas and we have adequate troops in the form of ‘reserves’ to react to any contingencies,” the Army Chief added.

    India-China ties came under severe strain following the deadly clashes at the Galwan valley following which both sides rushed in thousands of additional troops as well as battle tanks and other large weapons to the region.

    “The trust levels are bound to be low when a major standoff takes place between two countries leading to casualties on both sides. However, it is always our endeavour that this trust deficit should not hinder the negotiation process,” Gen Naravane said.

    “As two professional armies, it is imperative that we resolve the situation and make progress to restore trust at the earliest.”

    Asked about the possibility of any escalation of tension in the region, Gen Naravane said there has been no infringement by the Chinese side following the agreement on the disengagement in the Pangong lake area and that chances of any untoward incident is low.

    He also said the strength of troops on both sides at present are more or less what it was last year and that the Indian Army was aware of what is happening in the region, adding “you cannot be complacent”.

    The Chief of Army Staff said the training areas of the PLA located in depth areas at a distance of around 1,000 km from the LAC are also being looked at.

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

    Gen Naravane said the process for the next round of military talks was underway.

    At the same time, he added, “we should not expect result from every round of talks.”

    Asked about China building villages near the LAC in the Arunachal Pradesh sector as well along its border with Bhutan, Gen Naravane said it is possibly part of a plan to have more population in the areas along with infrastructure development.

    “They (China) are building the villages on their side. Additional infrastructure is also being developed to cater to the increasing population,” he said.

    He said India has also been developing infrastructure along the LAC that included habitat, water supply and electrification.

    Nine months after the military standoff at multiple friction points, both sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of the Pangong lake in February as part of an agreement reached following a series of military and diplomatic talks.

    The two sides have held 11 rounds of military talks with an aim to ensure disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points.

    Both the militaries are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points.

    There was no visible forward movement in disengagement of troops at the remaining friction points as the Chinese side did not show flexibility in their approach at the last round of talks on April 9.

    The Chinese military is currently conducting a drill at its training areas near the Ladakh region.