The Government of India has assured that it is maintaining the largest deployment of troops on the border with China in its history, following recent incidents between the two armies on the common border, the first since 2020, which resulted in no casualties.
«As of today we have a deployment of the Indian Army on the border with China like never before. It has been done to cope with the Chinese deployment, which has increased massively since 2020,» Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said.
He said that «it is the obligation of the Indian state and a duty and commitment of the Indian Army not to allow any country, in this case China, to change the Line of Actual Control (LoC) unilaterally,» according to the Indian state news agency PTI.
Jaishankar stressed that «the Army went there because the Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi) ordered it», following criticism from the opposition Rahul Ghandi on the alleged lack of action by New Delhi after the latest incidents on the border.
«If we were indifferent to China, who sent the Chinese Army to the border? Why are we putting pressure on China to leave the area and de-escalate tensions? Why is it being said publicly that our ties are not normal?» the minister wondered.
«We have no problem with there being political differences, if there is political criticism, but I don’t think you should directly or indirectly criticize members of the security forces,» he maintained, before stressing that «they are in the Yangtze, 13,000 feet up, defending the borders.»
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh last week accused China of trying to change the status quo on the border after the clashes. He called on Beijing to «avoid such actions and maintain peace and tranquility on the border».
For his part, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin pointed out that «the two sides have always maintained good communication on border issues through diplomatic and military channels» and called on New Delhi to «meet China halfway».
Tensions revolve around mountainous territory in the northern Kashmir region, plus some 60,000 square kilometers in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The Line of Actual Control, which replaces the border between the two countries in that region, passes through Ladaj.
India and China engaged in a brief war over their border in 1962. India disputes China’s control over 38,000 square kilometers of land in Aksai Chin, which it claims is part of Ladaj. Beijing in turn claims 90,000 square kilometers of territory in Arunachal Pradesh, which it considers part of southern Tibet.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
