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26 June, 2020, 12:26 PM IST

India China Live Updates: India set to ramp up infrastructure along China border

India is all set to ramp up its infrastructure along the border with China and complete work on as many as 42 strategic Indo-China Border Roads (ICBRs) before 2022.

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12:20 PM

Pakistan condemns India's expulsion of diplomats at 'delicate' time after China clash, reports Reuters

Pakistan has accused old rival India of trying to distract the attention of its people by expelling Pakistani diplomats after Indian forces got a "battering" at the hands of Chinese troops in a clash on their disputed Himalayan border.
Pakistan is concerned about the tension after the June 15 clash in the Ladakh region, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, in particular about the possibility Pakistan could get dragged in, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said.
The three nuclear-armed neighbours all have historic disputes over high-altitude border demarcation in the Himalayas.
For years, confrontation between India and Pakistan has been seen as the most dangerous of the disputes but the violence between Indian and Chinese forces has renewed alarm about theirs too.
Qureshi denounced India's announcement on Tuesday that it would expel half the staff in Pakistan's embassy in New Delhi over spying, saying India was trying to divert attention at home.

12:12 PM

Indian-Americans protest in Chicago against Chinese aggression in eastern Ladakh

A group of Indian-Americans has organised a peaceful demonstration in front of the Chinese Consulate in Chicago, protesting against Beijing's incursions in eastern Ladakh. The protest was limited to a small group of people due to the restrictions on gathering and other measures implemented by the city of Chicago in view of the coronavirus pandemic. “Our protest was against the Chinese incursions on Indian territory in Leh. We want to tell China that Indian-Americans will not keep quiet. Today the entire world is with India,” Dr Bharat Barai, an eminent Indian-American from Chicago, said on Thursday. “There is a massive resentment against Chinese aggression among Indian-Americans,” he said. Protestors carried placards denouncing China for its aggression against India and other neighboring countries.

11:50 AM

'Y Nalla' turns new frontier as Chinese sever PP-14 access

The creation of a new post and infrastructure in Galwan Valley is believed to have cut off the traditional access to Patrol Point-14 on LAC, making the strategic ‘Y Nalla’ — near the Shyok-Galwan axis — the new frontier for Indian and Chinese troops.
The quickly rebuilt Chinese infrastructure, which includes hardened shelters for troops and defensive positions at the Y-junction where Galwan River takes a sharp bend towards its meeting point with Shyok River, means the last 1 km trek to PP-14, an area patrolled by Indian troops for decades, may no longer be viable.

11:43 AM

40% duty, local testing to curb all power gear imports from China

The Centre is moving to slap up to 40% customs duty on solar equipment and a combination of penal tariffs and mandatory local testing for conventional power gears to discourage imports from China, power minister R K Singh said on Thursday. “It has been proposed that a basic customs duty of up to 25% is imposed on solar modules in the first year. It goes up to 40% in the second year and so on. For solar cells, the duty would be 15% this year and 30-40% from the next financial year,” Singh said.

11:15 AM

Delay in Customs clearance to adversely affect Make-In-India: USIBC

Amid increased vigilance at ports in view of border tension with China, the USIBC on Thursday said delay in clearance of shipments at customs would adversely affect the Make-In-India initiative, economic growth and job creation.
Amid heightened border tensions with China, Indian customs officials have started physical inspection of all consignments coming from the neighbouring country based on intelligence inputs. Although there is no formal order, Indian customs authority is inspecting consignments originating from China that arrive at any airport or port, government sources with direct knowledge of the development said.
Several members, USIBC said, has complained about the sudden, unannounced enhanced customs checks at numerous ports in India have substantially slowed access to imports.

11:02 AM

Pentagon lists 20 companies aiding Chinese military

The Pentagon unveiled a list of companies it says are owned or controlled by China's military, opening them to increased scrutiny in the latest spat between the world's biggest economies.
The 20 companies included Huawei Technologies and Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, as well as a number of state-run enterprises. In letters to lawmakers dated June 24, the Pentagon said it was providing a list of "Communist Chinese military companies operating in the US," which was first requested in the fiscal 1999 defence policy law.

10:32 AM

Pompeo cites China's Ladakh attack as factor in US reprioritising defence

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has cited Chinese Peoples Liberation Army's (PLA) "deadly" confrontation with India as one of the reasons for Washington recalibrating its defence commitments in Europe and looking at countering emerging threats.
The threats from China to India and countries in Southeast Asia and the challenges in the South China Sea are going to dictate the allocation of defence resources as US cuts troop levels in Germany, he said on Thursday at a virtual meeting of the Brussels Forum of the German Marshall Fund.
He said that China's expansionism is "the challenge of our time" and the US wants to ensure that its resources are in place to meet it.
Asked about President Donald Trump plans announced this month to pull back 9,500 of the about 30,000 US troops stationed in five garrisons in Germany, Pompeo said that ultimately "they are aimed squarely at what we believe to be democracies' fundamental interests, certainly America's fundamental interests."
He said the US began a strategic review of its force placement around the world and realising they were based on decisions made at a different time questioned whether there should be a different composition and allocation.

10:04 AM

China tries to pacify kin of unsung PLA soldiers

China on Wednesday attempted to pacify the aggrieved families of the Chinese soldiers killed in clashes with Indian troops along the LAC, without any official recognition from Beijing. Hu Xijin, editor of Global Times, the Chinese Communist Party regime’s mouthpiece, wrote that “the dead have been treated with the highest respect in the military, and that information will eventually be reported to society at the right time, so that heroes can be honored and remembered as they deserve”.

09:43 AM

U.S. and EU must face down China together, Pompeo says

The United States and European Union need a shared understanding of China to resist it, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday, calling Beijing a threat and accusing it of stealing European know-how to develop its economy.
Pompeo said he had accepted a proposal by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to create a formal U.S.-EU dialogue on China and would travel to Europe soon to host the first session.
"There is a transatlantic awakening to the truth of what's happening," Pompeo told a think-tank event via video link. "This isn't the United States confronting China, this is the world confronting China," he said.
Borrell raised the idea of a U.S.-EU dialogue earlier this month at the end of a video call between Pompeo and EU foreign ministers. While details are thin, Pompeo said it would be run by senior officials and would be open-ended.

09:38 AM

Retailers cover up China brand names

Fearing a backlash, Xiaomi has started covering up signages at its retail stores in the country, the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) said on Thursday. The action came after AIMRA sent a letter to all Chinese mobile brands including Oppo, Vivo and others to bring the “ground reality” to their notice. Xiaomi declined to officially comment on the development. In its letter, AIMRA requested the brands to “allow retailers to cover these signages with cloth/flex or to remove the boards from the storefront for a few months”.

09:15 AM

Iron rods in PLA bags even in eastern sector

People’s Liberation Army troops in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have also been recently observed carrying iron rods in their backpacks, reaffirming the Indian defence establishment’s belief that Chinese soldiers flout protocols on a regular basis but take shelter behind them if they get hurt. Sources said iron rods were seen in the backpacks of PLA troops when they came face-to-face with Indian soldiers along the LAC in the Kameng sector of Arunachal Pradesh earlier this week. “PLA soldiers come prepared, and routinely break the protocol that there will be no use of force during face-offs. But when they get hurt in the ensuing scuffles, they wrongly accuse Indian soldiers of breaking the protocol,” said a source.

09:11 AM

Why do we need to import even Ganeshas from China: FM

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that there was nothing wrong in imports to spur growth but wondered why even Ganesha idols should be bought from China. Importing raw materials that were not available in the country and needed for our industries was not wrong, she said addressing BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit workers via a virtual link. “There is nothing wrong in imports that would spur production and create job opportunities and it can be done definitely,” she said while speaking on the Centre’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan initiative.

08:39 AM

India set to ramp up infrastructure along China border

India is all set to ramp up its infrastructure along the border with China and complete work on as many as 42 strategic Indo-China Border Roads (ICBRs) before 2022, officials have said. The Centre had identified 73 “strategic roads” along the China border, 28 of which were made operational, 33 are still under construction while the work on remaining are in the initial stages, they added.
BJP councillor from Tangtse constituency in eastern Ladakh, Tashi Namgyal, said that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has engaged a large number of porters and labourers from several border villages for construction of roads in Durbok, Shayok and Daulat Beg Oldie areas along the LAC.

08:34 AM

China hindered Indian patrols, attempted changes in status quo, says MEA

The stopping of India's "normal, traditional patrolling pattern" in the Galwan Valley area by Chinese troops in early May led to a tense situation across the Line of Actual Control and caused the relationship between two countries to deteriorate, India's Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
In early May, the Chinese side had taken action to hinder India's normal, traditional patrolling pattern in the Galwan Valley area, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
On May 5, there was violence at Galwan Valley between Indian and Chinese troops which was widely reported. Clashes happened in Pangong Lake but the situation was brought under control.

08:18 AM

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik

Strong indigenous defence-manufacturing capabilities would help India safeguard its prosperity generated over last… https://t.co/f58i37cLGT
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) 1593110408000

07:58 AM

India-China standoff a wake-up call for industry to become more competitive: CII

The India-China standoff in Galwan Valley is a 'wake-up call' for the Indian companies to introspect and take actions to become more competitive globally, top industry body CII said on Thursday.
The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last six weeks, and the tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15.
On this issue, the industry stands by the government as it ensures sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, CII said in a statement.

07:34 AM

China reaches out to India

Reaching out to New Delhi after raising tensions in eastern Ladakh to a fever pitch, China on Thursday said it was ready to work with India to properly deal with the military standoff, and asked it to meet the halfway, asserting that "suspicion and friction" was a wrong path that goes against the fundamental aspirations of people of the two countries.

06:32 AM

'China needs to accept changed ground reality'

India is keeping a close watch on the ground situation in eastern Ladakh to see how disengagement proceeds and has made it clear that China needs to accept the changed "ground reality" that India will not back off from pursuing its interests on its side of the Line of Actual Control.
The Indian insistence that Chinese troops retreat has been backed by actions such as the recent construction of a bridge at Shyok, intended to drive home the point that the tactics of violating the LAC and squatting on Indian territory will yield diminishing returns. "The message is that China needs to recognise that things are not the same," a source said.
The Indian establishment is well aware that there are gaps between action and words and the Chinese foreign ministry itself has been blowing hot and cold. The proposed disengagement agreed to by military commanders will be watched but there will no de-escalation on the Indian side and vantage points will not be yielded to the intruders even if the waiting game drags on.
Sources pointed out that the absence of a firing incident on the border since 1975 was a significant achievement and the government did not undervalue it. Indeed, Indian troops were under instructions not to escalate matters. But this did not mean that Chinese troops could, at any time of their choosing, violate the LAC and seek to browbeat the Indian leadership.

06:14 AM

China amassing troops, armaments along LAC: India

China has been amassing a large contingent of troops and armaments along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May, India said on Thursday, and warned that continuation of the current situation would only vitiate the atmosphere for the development of the relationship.
This is for the first time since the military standoff began in early May, India has officially admitted about the Chinese buildup along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
In a strongly-worded statement, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said conduct of the Chinese forces is in "complete disregard" of all mutually agreed norms.

06:11 AM

India's auto and pharma sectors not ready to wean off China

Days after a border clash with China this month in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, New Delhi told firms to find ways to cut imports from China. But two big industries, automobiles and pharmaceuticals, say this is easier said than done.
Like many countries, India relies on China for products such as electronic components and drug ingredients because it cannot make them or source them elsewhere as cheaply, company and industry figures say.
Thus any moves to curb imports or make them costlier without developing alternatives will hurt local businesses.

06:09 AM

India and China deployed in 'large numbers' in border showdown: Foreign Ministry

India acknowledged for the first time Thursday that it has matched China in massing troops at their contested Himalayan border region after a deadly clash this month.
But India's foreign ministry accused China of causing the tensions by starting military deployments, and warned relations between the world's two most populous nations could be undermined if the standoff continues.
The neighbours have blamed each other for a June 15 battle in the Ladakh region in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed while China suffered an unknown number of casualties.

06:07 AM

Moving Europe troops to counter China threat to India: US

In a statement that pitches the US as a factor in the India-China military face-off, secretary of state Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that China's "threats to India" and Southeast Asia were among the main reasons for the US's move to reduce its troops in Europe.
The decision to draw down troops in Germany was part of a well-thought out strategy because they were being moved to other places, Pompeo told the Brussels Forum. US President Donald Trump recently announced that the US would be reducing troops from Germany, a decision that's angered EU countries.
The actions of the Chinese Communist Party, Pompeo said, meant there were "threats to India" and countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and the South China Sea. "We are going to make sure we are postured appropriately to counter the PLA. We think that is the challenge of our time and we are going to make sure we have resources in place to do that," he said.
Pompeo's marking out of China's threats to its neighbours as a priority represents a significant policy statement and security posture.

06:04 AM

Army alert to PLA build-up in hotspot Depsang

India is keeping a close watch on China's military mobilisation in the Depsang Plains region, a major hotspot after Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley and Hot Springs areas, which can conceivably threaten a vast swathe of Indian territory in north-eastern Ladakh.
Army chief General M M Naravane, during his trip to forward areas of eastern Ladakh over the last couple of days, directed further strengthening of patrolling to the 65 points on the Line of Actual Control to plug all gaps, while reviewing the operational situation in all sectors from Daulat Beg Oldie-Depsang in the north to Demchok-Chumar in the south.
The Indian Army has also counter-deployed an adequate number of acclimatised troops and heavy weaponry in order to prevent any further Chinese ingress.

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