News Analysis India

Tag: India China tensions

  • PM Narendra Modi should explain developments on Indo-China border: CPI’s D Raja

    By PTI

    COIMBATORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi must explain to the nation about the developments on the Indo-China border even as both the neighbouring countries should continue the dialogue process to find a solution to the problems, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja said here on Tuesday.

    Replying to a question on reports about China constructing a new bridge at Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, Raja said both countries were holding dialogue at the defence and ministerial-levels to bring down tensions and solve the persisting border issue.

    He said that being neighbours, both countries should make efforts to find a solution to the problems through dialogue.

    ALSO READ| Pics show Indian Army unfurling tricolour in Galwan Valley on New Year, bust PLA propaganda

    Modi, along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had earlier said in a meeting with all political party representatives on the Galwan valley face-off that India had not conceded an inch of land to China, the CPI leader said.

    Modi is not talking about the issue now but he is duty-bound to explain the developments taking place along the border areas at present, Raja said.

    He said that CPI’s three-day national executive meeting scheduled to be held in Coimbatore from January 26 will discuss the issues prevailing in the country, political situation and challenges being faced by the people.

    The meeting will also deliberate on the need for all political parties to unite and oust the fascist Modi government that has been functioning against the constitution, democracy and secular fabric of the country, he said.

    Stating that the BJP was functioning as a political arm of the RSS and implementing its agenda, Raja said there is a need for all secular, democratic and anti-fascist forces to come together and throw out the Modi government, which was trying to establish a state based on a particular religion, language and caste.

    ALSO READ| Rahul Gandhi questions PM Modi’s silence over reports of China constructing bridge in Pangong Tso

    There have also been reports that RSS was conducting its ‘shakhas’ on the premises of educational institutions in Coimbatore in which youth were trained to be involved in violence, Raja alleged.

  • Rahul Gandhi questions PM Modi’s silence over reports of China constructing bridge in Pangong Tso

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over reports of China constructing a bridge on the Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). “PM’s silence is deafening. Our land, our people, our borders deserve better,” Gandhi said on Twitter.

    PM’s silence is deafening.Our land, our people, our borders deserve better. pic.twitter.com/YKcNmliiVN
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 4, 2022
    He cited a news report claiming that the Chinese have been constructing a bridge on Pangong Tso Lake for over two months which is extremely close to the LAC. The bridge will connect the north and south bank of the lake, the report claimed.

    The Congress party and Gandhi have been critical of the government’s handling of the border situation with China in eastern Ladakh, that has also seen bloody clashes between the Indian and PLA troops last year.

  • Country’s national security ‘unpardonably compromised’: Rahul Gandhi slams Centre for China strategy

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the Centre over the border row with China and alleged that the country’s national security is “unpardonably compromised” as the government does not have a strategy on China.

    Our national security is unpardonably compromised because GOI has no strategy and Mr 56” is scared.My thoughts are with the soldiers risking their lives to guard our borders while GOI churns out lies. pic.twitter.com/F0iEHXdu8o
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 12, 2021
    He also cited a news report where the External Affairs Ministry and the Chief of Defence Staff had a different take on the China border issue. The headline of the news report reads: “Chief of Defence Staff, Foreign Ministry’s different take on China row”.

    “Our national security is unpardonably compromised because GOI has no strategy and ‘Mr 56’ is scared. My thoughts are with the soldiers risking their lives to guard our borders while GOI churns out lies,” the Congress leader said in a tweet.

    Three major friction points had emerged between the two countries including both the banks of Pangong lake, Gogra heights and the Hot Springs area following Chinese build up along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.

    Through multiple rounds of talks, both sides have resolved issues involving Pangong Tso and Gogra heights friction points as troops have disengaged from there. India and China held the 13th round of the India-China Corps Commander-level meeting earlier this month.

    India conveyed that it expects the Chinese side to work towards early resolution of all the remaining issues on the LAC in eastern Ladakh. There was a clash between Indian and Chinese Armies in Galwan Valley on June 15 last year, in which 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers lost their lives.

  • Village on Line of Actual Control mentioned in Pentagon report in area controlled by China: Sources

    The sources said the village has been built by China in an area that was occupied by it around six decades back.

  • India looks at reviewing its future responses against China at strategic level

    Express News Service

    RUPA (ARUNACHAL PRADESH): Consequent to the unilateral breach of agreements along the Line of Actual Control by China in Eastern Ladakh, Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army’s Eastern Command Lt Gen MK Pande suggested that India is reviewing its future responses at the higher level.

    Lt Gen Pande also said that China has increased its troops levels on its sides in Eastern Sector in the depth areas and they have not yet gone back.

    Replying to the question of The New Indian Express, Lt Gen MK Pande, said, “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. Consequent to what happened and what we need to do in the future, is something I reckon is being looked at at a higher level.”

    In May 2020 China moved a large body of its People’s Liberation Army troops at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh after a clash between the troops of the two sides at Finger 4 location along the North Bank of the Pangong Tso.

    The standoff started at Finger 4 and spread to Galwan, Gogra, Hotspring and South Bank of Pangong Tso. The tensions flared and this led to bloody clashes at Galwan which led to the death of 20 Indian Troops and at least 4 from the Chinese side.

    Speaking on the force accretion by the PLA in Eastern Ladakh, Lt Gen Pande said there has been focus on conducting integrated exercises. “Annual Training exercise which the PLA carries out has increased in depth. Some of the reserve formations mobilized by the PLA have continued to remain in operational depth,” he said.

    Significant length, 1346 kilometers which includes Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, lies in Eastern Sector which is being looked after by the Indian Army’s eastern Command. There are several areas of differing perception where faceoffs take place.

    The Indian Army tries to resolve faceoffs at the local level, Gen Pande. “We have robust mechanisms like hotlines, Border personnel Meetings which have worked well so far,” told Gen Pande.

    Adding to the mechanism of communication and resolution along the LAC 4th hotline has been added recently. 4th Hotline has been operationalised recently at North Sikkim. The other three in the Eastern Command are at Kibithu, Bum La, Nathu La.

    India has been sprucing up its military and road infrastructure. “India has worked on mobility with all terrain vehicles, have added drones, counter drone mechanism, UAVs, Precision Guided Ammunitions, better radio sets, surveillance radars and night vision capabilities,” he said.

    The Mountain Strike Corps has been fully operationalized. Its raising commenced in 2014 with its combat, combat support and logistics set up raised. “Operational Philosophy has stabilized and the troops have been doing validation training exercises with other formations,” he said.

    The raising of the Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) for swift deployment of troops with effective fire power is in process. “To enhance the efficiency of the Mountain Strike Corps we are looking at IBG from better options of deployment,” he 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.

  • Legacy issues need to be resolved through dialogue: Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on China standoff

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: In a veiled reference to the border standoff with China, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Monday said legacy issues and differences need to be resolved through mutual consent and dialogue, and not by unilateral actions.

    In his address at a symposium, Gen MM Naravane, however, noted that there were positive developments with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that led to disengagement of troops in Pangong lake areas in eastern Ladakh.

    The Army Chief also said that the recent comments of Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong “to avoid relapse and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in border areas” augurs well for the future of India-China relations.

    Talking about regional developments, he referred to the renewed commitment by the armies of India and Pakistan to follow the 2003 ceasefire on the Line of Control(LoC), saying it bodes well for the future.

    “We have recently entered into a ceasefire understanding with Pakistan Army in February this year, and since then there has been no exchange of fire on an otherwise active LoC. This bodes well for the future,” he said.

    “With China too, there have been positive developments along the LAC, an area where both countries have differing perceptions on the alignment of the land borders. This has led to disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh,” he added.

    Gen Naravane also mentioned about the 11th round of Corps commander-level talks between the armies of India and China, and hoped to “settle other border” issues through further negotiations. The military standoff between India and China that erupted on May 5 last at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh has significantly strained bilateral ties.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, India and China completed withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February.

    The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points. “Legacy issues and differences need to be resolved through mutual consent and dialogue and not by unilateral actions,” he said.

    Talking about new challenges being thrown up by the changing character of war, he said “our own region” is also witnessing that wars are no longer confined to the customary hard core kinetics but being increasingly contested in the ambiguous grey zone.”

    “However, even as we move to a technology empowered Army, the peculiar unsettled nature of our borders means that the requirement of ‘boots on ground’ cannot be simply wished away,” he added.

    Gen Naravane reiterated that India looked to maintain peace and harmony with all its neighbours and in the region. “Maintenance of peace and tranquillity requires joint efforts. All nations need to come together to uphold rules-based order, respect international laws and norms and develop mutual respect for each other,” he said.

    The Army Chief also said that geo-strategic spaces are being “constricted” and geo-strategic realities are being “altered” without physical battles, noting conflicts are steadily moving to the new domains of space, cyber and informatics.

    “We are conscious that niche technologies including artificial intelligence, autonomous and unmanned systems, long range precision technology, internet of things, 5G and quantum computing, to name a few, need to be acquired  to remain and capable to face future threats,” he said.

    About the coronavirus pandemic, he said the Army is devising ways and means to work through the challenging times and get its training schedules back on track. “The disruptive powers of the pandemic have, however, changed the way we think and act. It has also exposed our vulnerability to global supply chains, forcing us to re-engineer our dependencies  and work towards self-reliance,” he added.

  • Hackers attacked power grid to coerce India at LAC?

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: State-sponsored Chinese hackers may have targeted Indian power grids and ports with malware even as tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) escalated, The New York Times said quoting a US cybersecurity firm’s study, leading to doubts over the cause of the October 12 grid failure in Mumbai.

    Recorded Future, a Massachusetts-based company, found a spike in malware in Indian government, defence and public sector organisations in the build up to the clashes along the LAC since May last year. According to it, the cyber attacks began in May and continued throughout the year. Recorded Future claims the intrusions have now significantly come down.

    Apart from Recorded Future, cybersecurity firm Cyfirma claimed state-sponsored Chinese hackers had targeted IT systems of two Indian COVID vaccine manufacturers – Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech.

    According to Cyfirma, Chinese group APT10, also known as Stone Panda, identified vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure and supply chain software of Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute of India (SII). Cyfirma Chief Executive told media that the real motive of the group was to exfiltrate IP addresses and gain a competitive advantage over Indian pharmaceutical firms. 

    The NYT report also claims that Indian authorities were alerted about the increase in deployment of malware and given technical details. Responding to the report, the Power Ministry on Monday said an email was received from CERT-In on November 19, 2020, on the threat of malware called Shadow Pad at some control centres of POSOCO. Accordingly, action was taken to address the threats. 

    “NCIIPC informed through mail on February 12 about a state-sponsored Chinese hacker group Red Echo targeting Indian Power sector’s Regional Load Dispatch Centres along with State Load Dispatch Centres,” the ministry said, adding that all systems in control centres were scanned and cleaned by an anti-virus tool. 

    The report quoted Recorded Future COO Stuart Solomon saying that Red Echo was observed to systematically use cyber intrusion techniques to gain foothold in nearly a dozen critical nodes across the Indian power generation and transmission infrastructure. “Recorded Future identified 21 IP addresses targeting 10 power organisations and two seaports – the VO Chidambaranar Port and Mumbai Port Trust,” it added.

    Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government ordered an inquiry into the alleged intrusion. Home minister Anil Deshmukh said the cyber cell was asked to submit a report. “We have taken cognisance of media reports and have decided to conduct a thorough inquiry into the cyberattack by China,” he said.

    Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh said that the 8 GB foreign server data may have transferred into the Maharashtra State Electricity Board serve system to sabotage the financial capital’s power supply. He said as per their cyber department’s detailed report some black-listed internet addresses are being used to login in MSEB’s server system to disturb Mumbai’s power supply in October of last year.

    “American’s Recorded Future, a Massachusetts-based company in its future network analysis report claimed that China might have introduced some viruses in MSEB system and Mumbai’s electric infrastructure. We cannot rule out the foul play by China behind this unprecedented outage in Mumbai,” Deshmukh said.

    Beijing calls US firm’s report irresponsible

    The Chinese foreign ministry termed the report irresponsible. “Speculation and fabrication have no role to play on the issue of cyber attacks. It is irresponsible to accuse a particular party when there is no sufficient evidence,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

  • Have urged China to maintain downstream states’ interests: Government on Brahmaputra dam reports

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday said it has taken note of reports on China’s plans for hydropower development on the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra river, and asserted it has consistently conveyed its concerns to the Chinese authorities, urging them to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by any activities in upstream areas.

    In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, MoS External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the Chinese side has conveyed to India on several occasions that they are only undertaking run-of-the-river hydropower projects, which do not involve diversion of the waters of the Brahmaputra.

    Asked whether China is working on a proposal for constructing a big dam before the Indian border on Brahmaputra river in Tibet, he said, “Government has taken note of reports regarding China’s plans for hydropower development on the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra river.”

    Asserting that the government carefully monitors all developments on the Brahmaputra river, he said that as a lower riparian state, with considerable established user rights to the waters of the trans-border rivers, India has consistently conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities, and has urged them to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by any activities in upstream areas.

    “The Chinese side has conveyed to us on several occasions that they are only undertaking run-of-the-river hydropower projects, which do not involve diversion of the waters of the Brahmaputra,” Muraleedharan said.

    He said that various issues relating to trans-border rivers are discussed with China under the ambit of an institutionalized Expert Level Mechanism which was established in 2006, as well as through diplomatic channels. “We intend to remain engaged with China on the issue of trans-border rivers to safeguard our interests,” he added.

    To a separate question on 39 Indian crew members stuck on cargo ships near Chinese ports for months, Muraleedharan said 23 Indian crew members were on board an Indian ship MV Jag Anand that was anchored near Jingtang port, China since June 13, 2020, while 16 were on board another ship MV Anastasia, which is on anchorage near Caofeidian port in China since September 20, 2020.

    He said that the two ships could not offload their cargo and carry out crew rotation due to the strict regulations introduced by  China in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The owners of MV Jag Anand decided to undertake crew change in Chiba, Japan.

    He said that the ship carried out crew change in Chiba, Japan on January 18, 2021 and all the 23 crew members who were on board MV Jag Anand have since arrived in India. “As regards MV Anastasia, our Embassy continues to be in touch with the Chinese authorities as well as the shipping company to work out the modalities of crew change at port at the earliest,” he said.