An Indian Army convoy moves along a highway leading to Ladakh, at Gagangeer in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district June 18, 2020. (Reuters Photo: Danish Ismail)
India-China border news Live update: As tensions simmer on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh with no talks scheduled so far between military commanders, the Chinese army has started consolidating its positions in the Pangong Tso area. This includes undertaking construction of a helipad at Finger 4 and a sudden increase of Chinese troops on the southern banks of Pangong Tso. The latest act has led to apprehensions that the and conveying their disinclination for restoration of status quo ante in the area.
On Friday, New Delhi warned Beijing that trying to alter the status quo on the ground by resorting to force will not just damage the peace that existed in the border areas but can also have “ripples and repercussions” in the broader bilateral relationship, and demanded that Beijing stop its activities in eastern Ladakh.
Meanwhile, with consignments from China reportedly facing customs hurdles at a number of ports, Indian exporters have begun reporting similar issues with their shipments to the neighbouring country. In a recent note to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), which is the apex body of export promotion councils, has said that Hong Kong and Chinese Customs were holding back export consignments from India over the last few days.
Maxar WorldView-3 satellite image shows close up view of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) border and patrol point 14 in the eastern Ladakh sector of Galwan Valley June 22, 2020. (Maxar Technologies via Reuters)
India on Friday warned China that trying to alter the status quo on the ground by resorting to force will not just damage the peace that existed in the border areas but can also have “ripples and repercussions” in the broader bilateral relationship, and demanded that Beijing stop its activities in eastern Ladakh. The only way to resolvewas for Beijing to realise that trying to “change the status quo by resorting to force or coercion, is not the right way forward,” India’s ambassador to China Vikram Misri said in a hard-hitting interview to PTI. Asserting that actions taken by the Chinese forces on the ground have damaged “considerable trust” in the bilateral relationship, the Indian ambassador said it was entirely the responsibility of the Chinese side to take a careful view of the relations and to decide which direction the ties should move.
The government does not expect an early resolution of the two-month-old standoff on the LAC because of a deadlock in both diplomatic and military talks. A senior government official told The Indian Express that the armed forces had been given a “free hand” to deal with the situation and sufficient troops, military equipment and material have been moved to various areas along the 3,488-km-long disputed border with China. The official said that the armed forces had started to move adequate reserves to respond to any further developments despite grappling with the challenge of Covid-19 pandemic.
Another official said that “the Chinese are telling us that they have no intention of going back or restoring the status quo as in April. It is why they have not been interested in discussing any disengagement or de-escalation in Pangong Tso.” “We are also deployed in adequate strength but there are certain tactical restrictions imposed by the local terrain which we are cognisant of. Let me just say it is a challenging area for us,” the official said.
The Chinese army has started consolidating its positions in the Pangong Tso area.This includes undertaking construction of a helipad at Finger 4 and a sudden increase of Chinese troops on the southern banks of Pangong Tso. This has led to apprehensions that the and conveying their disinclination for restoration of status quo ante in the area. An official told The Indian Express, “It is correct that the Chinese have started consolidating their positions on the north bank of Pangong Tso lake. There is a helipad that is now being constructed in the Finger 4 area, which is in addition to all the other infrastructure construction done by them in past eight weeks or so.”
The BJP accused the Congress of advancing Chinese propaganda and peddling "lies and falsehoods" to lower the morale of armed forces, as it hit back at the opposition party after Sonia Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the nation into confidence on the border situation in Ladakh. BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao raised the issue of alleged donation from the Chinese embassy to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) when the Congress-led UPA was in power and said the Congress has not been able to offer any explanation to people on this extremely "shocking and damaging revelation".
"The Congress has not been able to offer any explanation to people of this country who have been wondering why the Congress is betraying India's interest by acting as a propaganda arm of China," Rao said in a statement. "Rather than answer such serious questions, the Gandhi family is continuing to blabber lies and falsehoods to lower the morale of armed forces and to advance Chinese propaganda," he alleged.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up and tell the truth to the country on whether China has occupied any Indian territory. He said if the Prime Minister says no Indian territory has been occupied by China, while satellite images show otherwise, then China stands to benefit from his statement.
"If you (the PM) say Indian land has not been taken by China and it has actually been taken, then China will stand to benefit," Gandhi said. "Prime Minister ji, speak up and do not be scared. You will have to tell the truth to the country. Don't be scared to say that yes, China has taken our land and we are going to act against them. The whole country is with you."
Stepping up attack on the BJP amid reports of fresh Chinese incursions in Ladakh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked the Centre to disclose when and how it plans to push back Chinese troops from the Indian territory. Read more here
Army Chief General MM Naravane has briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the ground situation in eastern Ladakh. Singh on Thursday returned from Russia where he had gone to attend the Victory Day celebrations. Naravane also came back to Delhi on Thursday from Ladakh, where he was briefed in detailed about the situation on the ground, and also visited some of the forward areas and presented commendation cards to several troops who were involved in clashes with the Chinese in Pangong Tso and in Galwan Valley. Singh is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day and brief him about the situation.