India-China standoff live updates: India and China emphasise on expeditious and phased de-escalation during military talks

Defence minister Rajnath Singh and Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane to visit Leh on Friday to review the security situation in Eastern Ladakh

PM Modi had 115 posts on Weibo. It was decided to manually delete them & after much effort 113 posts were removed: Sources

As soon as decision was taken to disallow 59 Chinese apps in India, PM Modi also decided to quit Weibo which he had joined a few years ago: Govt sources

For VIP accounts, Weibo has a more complex procedure to quit which is why the official process was initiated. For reasons best known to the Chinese, there was great delay in granting this basic permission: Sources

Read: Indian & Chinese armies emphasised on expeditious, phased de-escalation during talks

Commanders from PLA & Indian Army held a meeting at Chushul, on Indian side, on 30 June 2020

Yesterday's meeting reflected the commitment of both sides to reduce the tensions along the LAC: Military sources

More meetings expected at military,diplomatic levels to arrive at mutually agreeable solution: Military sources on India-China talks on Tuesday

Discussions at Corps Commander talks on Tuesday reflected commitment of both sides to reduce tensions along LAC: Military sources

Indian, Chinese armies emphasised on expeditious, phased and step wise de-escalation as priority: Military sources on corps commanders talks

"This is in keeping with the Agreement between External Affairs Ministers and his Chinese counterpart during their conversation on 17th June that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and that both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of 6th June sincerely," the sources further said.

'China should de-escalate tensions with India as rivalry with US intensifies'

As its rivalry with the US intensifies and the international environment becomes more hostile, China should improve its relations with its Asian neighbours and India should be its priority, said US-based professor Zhiqun Zhu. In an opinion piece in Al Jazeera, Zhiqun Zhu, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bucknell University, said that India has been cautious not to offend China, even as it beefs up ties with the US. "It serves China's interest to improve relations with its Asian neighbours instead of heavily concentrating on the US. India should be a priority of this new approach," the professor said.

India to ban Chinese cos from highway projects, says Gadkari

India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday amid border standoff with China. Gadakri also said the government will ensure that Chinese investors are not entertained in various sectors like Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). "We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it," Gadkari told PTI in an interview.

PLA has deployed over 20,000 troops along LAC, India wary of third division in Xinjiang

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed more than 20,000 of its troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near the Eastern Ladakh sector even as India is closely watching the activities of another 10,000-12,000 Chinese troops deployed in Xinjiang with high mobility vehicles and weaponry in the rear positions with the capability to reach the Indian front in 48 hours time. "The Chinese Army has deployed around two divisions worth of troops (around 20,000) along the LAC in the Eastern Ladakh sector. There is another division (10,000 troops) which has been stationed by it in the Northern Xinjiang province almost a 1,000 kilometres from the front but they can be mobilised to reach our frontiers in maximum 48 hours time due to the flat terrain on the Chinese side," top government sources told ANI. "We are keeping a close eye on the movement of these troops along with the ones which have been deployed close to the Indian territory," the sources said.

Support in US for India banning TikTok and other Chinese apps

India's ban on 59 Chinese apps, including the popular TikTok, has been widely noted in the US, including by some prominent lawmakers, who have urged the American government to follow suit as it is believed that the short video-sharing app is a major security risk to the country. India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country. The ban, which comes in the backdrop of India's current stand-off along the Line of Actual control in Ladakh with Chinese troops, is also applicable for WeChat and Bigo Live.

India, China military talks went on for 12 hours

Talks between the Indian and Chinese military delegates to resolve the border issue in Eastern Ladakh went on for around 12 hours, sources said. The meeting which started at 10.30 a.m. ended at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, the sources said. It took place at Chushul wherein India has put a strong message that to China's People's Liberation Army troops have not aided by the disengagement consensus. This is the third meeting between the two sides. The last two meetings at Corp Commander level were held on June 6 and June 22. While Tuesday's meeting was held in Chushul on the Indian side, the previous two took place in Moldo on the Chinese side. "All contentious areas during the current standoff were discussed to stabilise the situation," the sources added.

Follow June 22 plan, India tells China

India on Tuesday asked China to adhere to the broad de-escalation and disengagement plan of June 22, with gradual, verifiable and mutual troop pull-back from the confrontation sites in eastern Ladakh, followed by reduction in the continuing rival military build-ups along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). There was no official word on the outcome of the third round of talks on Tuesday between 14 Corps commander Lt-General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin, who had held similar marathon dialogues on June 6 and June 22. Read full report

Firms downplay Chinese links amid wave of anti-China sentiment

PLA puts up signage, China map on bank of Ladakh lake to claim it as Chinese land

After physically occupying an almost 8-km stretch of what India considers its territory on the north bank of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has now created a massive signage in the area to claim it as Chinese land. Located between Finger-4 and Finger-5, the 80-metre-long signage is in the shape of inscriptions and is designed to be visible from the air and capable of being picked up by satellites. It consists of the Mandarin symbol meaning China with a map of the country. It seeks to deride India’s claim that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) runs north to south at Finger-8. “It clearly shows the PLA has no intention of leaving the area any time soon. We, too, have counter-mobilised with additional Army and ITBP troops in the area since May for any eventuality. We want restoration of status quo ante, with the PLA pulling back to its original position,” an official said here. Read more

Read: IIT Kanpur gets Rs 196 crore from Centre to fight cyberthreats

At a time when the threat of cyberattacks is growing, including those from China, the Union government has approved Rs 196 crore for a national technical centre at IIT Kanpur to counter such threats. Besides, in a first for the country, the institute will also roll out an MTech degree in cyber security from the next year. Known as C3ihub — Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity of Cyberphysical systems Innovation Hub — the centre will include faculty from various foreign and Indian varsities.

PM shied away from calling out China in his address: Congress

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi used an allegory to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on Chinese incursions as the opposition party dubbed his “address to the nation” as evidence that Bihar elections were his top priority in the midst of serious crises facing the country. In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi improvised on a couplet that questions the protector for his lapses and urges him not to beat about the bush but to explain why the caravan was robbed. It was seen in the light of Congress questioning the PM for steering clear in his speech of the serious situation on the China border.