News Analysis India

Tag: India-China standoff

  • India will give befitting reply if any ‘superpower’ hurts national pride: Rajnath Singh

    By PTI
    BENGALURU: India does not want a war but its soldiers are capable of giving befitting reply if any ‘superpower’ hurts the country’s pride, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday amid the eight-month-old border standoff with China.

    “We don’t want war and we are in favour of protecting everyone’s security but I want to say this in clear terms that if any superpower wants to hurt our pride then our soldiers are capable of giving them a befitting reply,” Singh said.

    The Defence minister insisted that India never wanted conflict with any nation and preferred to maintain peace and friendly ties with its neighbours.

    “It always wanted peace and friendly ties with its neighbours because it’s in our blood and culture,” he said at the fifth Armed Forces Veterans’ Day at the Headquarters Training Command of the Indian Air Force in Bengaluru.

    Referring to the standoff with China, he said the Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and patience and if that can be narrated then every Indian will feel proud.

    Singh hailed the Indian soldiers who showed extraordinary courage in “eliminating terrorists on the Pakistan soil”.

    Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat was also present.

  • Indian Army to hold ground at LAC till needed, says General Naravane

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Army will hold on to its positions in eastern Ladakh — where it’s in a standoff with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) — till as long as required, General MM Naravane said on Tuesday. While expressing the hope that an amicable solution can be reached through “dialogue and discussion”, the Army chief said, “If talks are prolonged, so be it.

    We are prepared to hold our ground, where we are, for as long as needed to achieve our national goals.” He was addressing the media on the eve of the Army Day. On reports that China has moved troops further away from the border in depth areas, General Naravane said not much should be read into the move as there is no reduction in deployment of personnel at the frontline.

    ALSO READ | Relations with China disturbed by bloodshed last year, says S Jaishankar

    “Training areas have been vacated by China in depth areas which lie at a distance ranging between 500-1500 km from the border. No decrease of strength on either side on friction areas has taken place,” he said.   The Army is maintaining a vigil on the entire northern border, the chief said, adding that there are friction points with China not just in eastern Ladakh but in other sectors, too.

    “No eyeballs-to-eyeballs deployment in eastern and central sector, but there are friction points. Rebalancing as per threat perception is carried out. Rebalancing to northern border was required and it has taken place.”

  • Relations with China disturbed by bloodshed last year, says S Jaishankar

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said the relationship between India and China has been profoundly disturbed by the bloody face-off along the LAC in June last year.

    “After 45 years, you’ve had bloodshed on the border. And that’s had a huge impact on public opinion and politically…really the impact on trust and confidence in India where China and their relationship is concerned.

    ALSO READ | China moves troops at rear, but no change in deployment along LAC

    That has been profoundly disturbed,” Jaishankar said referring to the violent skirmish at the Galwan Valley in which death 20 Indian soldiers had died.  The minister added that China was yet to offer an explanation for deploying a large number of troops along the LAC.

    “Now last year, for reasons which are not clear to us, the Chinese brought an enormous military force to one part of the border. And then at the LAC, obviously we moved up when we saw them coming,” Jaishankar said. On relations with the US, the minister said the ties were on an upward swing.   

  • India should be prepared to deal with ‘two-front’ threat scenario: Gen MM Naravane

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Pakistan and China together form a potent threat to national security and their collusive approach towards India cannot be wished away, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane said on Tuesday.

    Addressing a press conference ahead of Army Day, Gen Naravane elaborated extensively on the situation in eastern Ladakh, and said Indian troops have been maintaining a very high level of combat readiness to effectively deal with any eventualities in the region.

    The Chief of Army staff said he was hopeful that India and China will be able to reach an agreement for disengagement and de-escalation based on an approach of mutual and equal security.

    At the same time, Gen Naravane, apparently referring to capture of certain strategic heights along the southern bank of Pangong lake by the Indian Army, said his force will hold on to its positions in eastern Ladakh based on its national interest and goals.

    Talking about the overall national security challenges, the Army Chief said collusive approach of both China and Pakistan towards India is manifesting on the ground.

    “Pakistan and China together form a potent threat,” he said.

    The Chief of Army staff said India will have to be prepared to deal with a “two-front” threat scenario.

    He said there has been an increasing cooperation between China and Pakistan in both military and non-military sectors.

    Gen Naravane said Pakistan continues to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy and India will continue to confront the menace effectively.

    We reserve the right to respond to cross border terrorism at a time of our choosing with precision, he said.

  • China moves troops at rear, but no change in deployment along LAC

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: China recently moved around 10,000 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel deployed deep inside the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on their side, further away from the border. But there was no change in its deployment of troops and equipment on the Ladakh border, where they ingressed into Indian territory several months ago.

    Confirming the development, a senior Army officer said, “There is no change in the troop positions from the Chinese side.” The deployment of equipment and systems, including the artillery, armoured vehicles and missile regiments in the stand-off mode, have also not changed.

    OPINION | The million dollar question: What will China do hereafter?

    Though the purpose of the Chinese troop reorganisation was not immediately clear, there was speculation that it could be due to bad weather. 

  • PLA soldier apprehended on Indian side of LAC handed back to China

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: A Chinese soldier, apprehended after transgressing to the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), has been handed back to China on Monday.

    According to the army, “The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldier who had been apprehended on 08 January 2021, has been handed back to China at Chushul- Moldo at 10.10 am today.”

    The People’s Liberation Army soldier was apprehended during early hours of January 8, on the Indian Side of the LAC, in Ladakh area, South of Pangong Tso lake.

    ​This was second such case, in about three months, that a Chinese PLA soldier ‘transgressed’ on the southern bank of Pangong Tso. Otherwise, both sides have been in communication only through the hotlines established at various locations and the crossing of LAC takes place only after informing each other.

    FLASHThe PLA soldier who had been apprehended on 08 January 2021, has been handed back to China at Chushul – Moldo at 10.10 AM today: Army@NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard
    — Mayank (@scribesoldier) January 11, 2021

    The cases of transgression, after May 2020 standoff, have been focused to the South Bank side of Pangong Lake in the Eastern Ladakh. It was after the Indian Army took heights on the South Bank of Pangong Tso that the entire dynamics of standoff of the Eastern Ladakh had changed completely.

    Since August 2020, Indian soldiers are deployed on the hill peaks giving advantage of keeping an eye on every move deep inside the Chinese side. The Chinese tried to push the Indian Army soldiers back but the ground situation remain unchanged. In the ensuing process even bullets were fired in air by the soldiers of both countries.

    ​ALSO READ OPINION | The million dollar question: What will China do hereafter?

    As reported first by The New Indian Express, Chinese soldiers had clashed first at Finger 4 in the first week of May, 2020 before deployment of PLA troops at multiple points along LAC in Eastern Ladakh. 

    At present troops from either side are deployed along the LAC since friction erupted last year due to unprecedented mobilisation and forward concentration by Chinese troops.

    The first such transgression from Chinese side took place on October 20, 2020 and a Chinese PLA Corporal Wang Ya Long was apprehended in Demchok, the Indian side of the LAC, south of Pangong Lake.

  • Border standoff: Chinese soldier captured on Indian side of LAC in Ladakh

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Indian Army has caught a Chinese PLA soldier who ‘transgressed’ to the Indian side of the LAC on the southern bank of Pangong Tso on Friday.

    Army on Saturday informed, “During early hours of January 8, a Chinese soldier was apprehended on the Indian side of the LAC in Ladakh, in area South of Pangong Tso lake.” 

    All protocols are being followed and the Chinese side was informed about the event. “The PLA soldier is being dealt with as per laid down procedures and circumstances under which he had crossed the LAC are being investigated.” 

    The capture of the Chinese soldier comes in the midst of an eight-month-long bitter border standoff between the two armies in eastern Ladakh.

    Troops from both sides are deployed along the LAC since the friction erupted last year due to unprecedented mobilization and forward concentration by Chinese troops.

    It was after the Indian Army took heights on the South Bank of Pangong Tso that the entire dynamics of the standoff of the Eastern Ladakh had changed completely.  Since September 2020, Indian soldiers are deployed on the hilltops along the LAC to keep an eye on every move of the Chinese side. Earlier, the Chinese tried to push the Indian Army back but in vain. 

  • Commanders’ meet unlikely soon as India, China refuse to budge

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The next India-China Corps Commanders meeting is unlikely to take place soon as both sides are sticking to their positions regarding deployments and disengagement of troops along the various standoff points in eastern Ladakh.

    India and China have held eight rounds of the Corps Commander talks, with the last one taking place at Chushul on November 6. At the 20th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs on December 18, the two neighbours had agreed to hold another round of talks for taking forward the process of disengagement on the LAC.

    “(But) there is no common ground on the issues to hold the meeting. We are in favour of the option to resolve things through discussions, but the  Chinese side will have to maintain status quo as was in April (last year),” said a senior Army officer. 

    While China has been pressing for discussing troop withdrawal from the south bank of Pangong Tso first and other friction areas later, India is firm on discussing all the contentious areas of Ladakh simultaneously.  

    Temperature has plummeted to around minus 400 C in the remote region making movements restricted, but both sides are maintaining regular contact. “The movement from both sides has ceased,” the officer said. Troops of the two countries along with military support of armoured vehicles are deployed in eastern Ladakh since the Galwan clash.