SRINAGAR: Sources said on Monday that Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a new “face-off” last week on their disputed Himalayan border, resulting in several injuries on both sides.
Since a clash in June 2020 that resulted in the deaths of at least four Chinese soldiers and 20 Indian soldiers on their high-altitude frontier, relations between the nuclear-armed Asian superpowers have been at an all-time low.
According to one source, the latest incident on December 9 resulted in “minor injuries to (a) few personnel from both sides” following recent joint US-Indian military exercises near the border.
Another source, from the Indian armed force, said no less than six Indian warriors were harmed.
China was at this point to formally remark.
According to the sources, Chinese soldiers approached the area near the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border, where it was agreed that neither side would patrol.
According to the initial source, this action was “contested by… (Indian) troops in a firm and resolute manner.” After the engagement the two sides “promptly separated from the area”, the source added.
Later, “to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquility,” an Indian commander met with a Chinese counterpart.
The incident occurred in the Tawang Sector of Arunachal Pradesh, a state in the northeast of India that China claims. The region is known as South Tibet by Beijing.
There are “areas of differing perception, wherein both sides patrol the area up to their claim lines,” according to the initial source. Since 2006, this has been the pattern.
According to reports in Indian media, unidentified sources stated that China suffered a greater number of injuries and that the incident involved approximately 300 People’s Liberation Army members.
Read: India, China discuss steps to end border impasse early
US-India exercises
Both sides have sent thousands of troops to the border to strengthen it since the deadly hand-to-hand battle in 2020. Different rounds of talks have neglected to ease pressures significantly.
According to a source in the army, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a second “face-off” in the last week of November in the farther north Demchok region of Ladakh.
This was the first incident since September 2020, and it was unknown if anyone had been hurt.
According to a source in the army, Chinese military activity in Ladakh has increased, and the Chinese air force may have violated airspace in the same region, the source said.
This comes after India and the United States conducted joint military exercises last month in Uttarakhand, a northern Indian state that borders China, which irked Beijing.
According to the source, the Chinese soldiers also carried a banner protesting the Indo-US military exercises.
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Undefined border
In 1962, China and India went to war over their long, disputed border.
There has never been a clear demarcation of the border’s exact path, some of which are higher than 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) above sea level.
Temperatures in the winter can drop to as low as minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit, cracking gun barrels and causing machinery to stop.
India was strengthening security cooperation with the United States, Japan, and Australia in the Asia-Pacific region even prior to the conflict in June 2020. This was a strategic move closer to the West.
The so-called Quad alliance is made up of those concerned about China’s growing influence in the region.
Read: India tests nuclear-capable missile amid tensions with China
In addition, India has begun a $130 billion modernization of its armed forces that includes acquiring missile defense systems from Russia and attack helicopters from the United States.
India banned hundreds of Chinese-language mobile applications following the clash in 2020, including the well-known social media platform TikTok.
Chinese firms working in India, including cellphone producer Xiaomi and Huawei, have been assaulted by the expense specialists.
Two-sided exchange stays energetic, in any case, at around $100 billion every year, except with India bringing in from China undeniably more than it trades there.
Source: AFP
