SECTIONS
ET APPS
Live Blog
LATEST NEWS
- China criticizes US joint carrier drills in South China Sea
- Luxury Ride signs Sukhbir Singh as brand ambassador
- CEAT Tyres makes foray into PPE segment, launches S95 mask
- Karnataka relaxes rules, makes 2-week home quarantine for visitors mandatory
- Australian players told get ready for England series as T20 WC set to be postponed: Reports
- Pakistan summons senior Indian diplomat over 'ceasefire violations'
- 13 UK universities on brink of collapse without covid-19 bailout: Report
- 30% of India Inc now functioning at high levels of capacity utilisation of 70% and above
- Lockdown cuts India's April tea output by 54% y/y
Business News›News›Defence›India China LIVE: Maintenance of peace at border essential, says NSA Chief Doval and Chinese FM
LIVE BLOG
Economic Times | 06 Jul, 2020 | 04.54PM IST
India China LIVE: Maintenance of peace at border essential, says NSA Chief Doval and Chinese FM
The two representatives agreed that it was necessary to ensure at the earliest complete disengagement of troops along LAC & de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity.
!1 New UpdateClick here for latest updates
NSA Ajit Doval talked to his Chinese counterpart for two hours yesterday to make the Chinese agree to begin the process of disengagement: Government sources
The Chinese have started to withdraw their troops and tents in Galwan by 2 kilometres and in next few days, disengagement process will begin in other friction points including PP-14, PP-15, Hot Springs and Finger area: Government sources
The NSA is monitoring the situation continuously with the Indian Army and the matter is expected to be resolved amicably soon: Government sources
Ladakh: BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav participated in two different programmes held to mark Dalai Lama's 85th birthday & birth anniversary of Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee in Leh earlier today.
Ladakh: BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav participated in two different programmes held to mark Dalai Lama'… https://t.co/ZySYTJi9d1
— ANI (@ANI) 1594030477000Chinese ambassador to UK says no one should underestimate the determination of China to safeguard its sovereignty
India has been the greatest support to Tibet and our hearts go out to all the soldiers at the border. We wish they remain safe and that India is secure and strong.
- Lobsang Sangay, President, Central Tibetan Administration
More updates from MEA about NSA Doval-Chinese FM talks
- They agreed that it was necessary to ensure at the earliest complete disengagement of troops along LAC & de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity.
- In this regard, they further agreed that both sides should complete the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC expeditiously. The two sides should also ensure a phased and stepwise de-escalation in the India-China border areas.
- They re-affirmed that both sides should strictly respect and observe the Line of Actual Control and should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any incident in the future that could disturb peace and tranquillity in border areas.
- It was also agreed that NSA Ajit Doval & Chinese FM Wang Yi will continue their conversations to ensure full and enduring restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas in accordance with the bilateral agreements and protocols.
Maintenance of peace at border essential: MEA
NSA Doval&Chinese FM agreed that both sides should take guidance from consensus of the leaders that maintenance of… https://t.co/ZQ1pXt7cQL
— ANI (@ANI) 1594028040000China warns Canada of 'consequences' over Hong Kong interference
- "China strongly condemns this and reserves the right to make further response. All consequences arising therefrom will be borne by Canada," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular briefing.
China and India have made progress coming up with effective measures for frontline troops to disengage and deescalate the border situation at the 3rd commander-level talks between the two militaries on June 30: China's Global Times quotes Chinese Foreign Ministry Spox Zhao Lijian
The focus of the conversation between NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese FM Wang Yi was the full and enduring restoration of peace and tranquillity and to work together to avoid such incidents in future: Sources (ANI)
China on disengagement along LAC
China and India have made progress coming up with effective measures for frontline troops to disengage and deescala… https://t.co/lhG2xJY3CL
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) 1594024817000China says U.S. sent ships to South China Sea to flex its muscles
- China's foreign ministry said on Monday the United States had deliberately sent its ships to the South China Sea to flex its muscles and accused Washington of trying to drive a wedge between the countries in the region.
- Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the comments during a daily press briefing in Beijing in response to a question about two U.S. aircraft carriers conducting operations and exercises in South China Sea.
No man's land
- With the retreat from both sides, a four kilometre no-man zone has been created. "Four kilometres in the highly mountainous terrain like Galwan valley, deprives both sides to see each other's installations and reinforcements," sources said.
- The two sides have also agreed, sources said, not to do any aerial surveillance of the retreated area, to rebuild trust which was badly damaged due to the June 15 bloodbath.
Disengagement of Chinese troops is being monitored by the Indian side at all four friction points including the PP-14 (Galwan river valley), PP-15, Hot Springs and Finger area: Sources
The extent of withdrawal is varied at different locations, said sources.
Chinese Army removing tents, seen withdrawing troops from Galwan Valley: Sources
- The Chinese Army is removing tents and moving back from certain areas of the Galwan Valley, in a first sign of disengagement of troops from the area, government sources said on Monday.
- They said disengagement of the Chinese troops has started as per an agreement between the Corps Commander's of the two sides.
- The Chinese Army is seen removing tents and structures at Patrolling Point 14, the sources said.
- Similar movement of vehicles of the Chinese Army is seen at Gogra Hot Spring area, the sources said.
- The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks.
This is a result of intense diplomatic, military engagement & contacts in the past 48 hours.
The disengagement of Indian & Chinese troops in Galwan, Ladakh has begun. This is a result of intense diplomatic, m… https://t.co/xfGww0TNHT
— ANI (@ANI) 1594018220000India's responsible stance & message at LAC has been globally recognised.Those invested in India-China relationship in Beijing are also of the opinion that the present stand-off should be resolved. India has sent out a decisive message that national security is paramount: Sources
Chinese heavy armoured vehicles still present in depth areas in Galwan river area.
Chinese heavy armoured vehicles still present in depth areas in Galwan river area. Indian army monitoring the situa… https://t.co/BD4xgm07kO
— ANI (@ANI) 1594016411000India keeps watchful eye
- According to sources, these changes at LAC are 'reversible', hence need to be watched carefully. India and China are in touch over the verification process.
- Even at Pangong Tso, sources said the Chinese side pulled back some distance in the past 24-48 hours from Finger 4 but not yet to the point where India has demanded withdrawal. Here too, sources said, some structures are being pulled down though India is still verifying every detail.
- Even as these reports of a pull back started to trickle in the past 24 hours, New Delhi is taking a cautious line. Disengagement, sources said, must be meaningful and sustainable so that such events can be avoided in the future.
- For this, sources said, India will push for further de-escalation and restoration of earlier status quo and more. To this end, further deliberations are expected.
First signs of Chinese withdrawal in Galwan, Pangong Tso areas; cautious India verifies
- In the first signs of de-escalation after the June 15 clash, Chinese troops are believed to have moved back in both Galwan and Pangong Tso areas. A preliminary verification has been done, though a more extensive double-check is underway, said sources.
- ET has reliably gathered that Chinese troops have started to pull back beyond PP-14 and the area where the clash took place. Also, sources said, some temporary structures and tent-like shelters have also been removed indicating a positive trend.
- However, sources said, these changes are 'reversible', hence need to be watched carefully. India and China are in touch over the verification process.
More military talks expected between India-China: Sources
India-China skirmish in Galwan prompts fears of conflict: Report
- The violent stand-off between the Indian and Chinese border troops in Eastern Ladakh last month has raised questions about China's strategic calculations on the rise of India and also prompted fears about armed conflicts between the nuclear powers, according to an analytical piece published in South China Morning Post.
Chinese heavy armoured vehicles still present in depth areas in Galwan river area. Indian army monitoring the situation with caution: Indian Army Sources
Chinese Army has moved back tents, vehicles & troops by 1-2 km from locations where disengagement was agreed upon at Corps Commander level talks: Indian Army Sources
Major Development
- In a big development amid the ongoing India-China standoff, the Chinese troops have reportedly "shifted" 1 kilometer from the site of Galwan Valley clashes. According to media reports, the Chinese soldiers have also started removing temporary tents set up at Galwan Valley Patrol Point 14.
According to sources, PLA troops shifted 1 km from LAC.
Disengagement of troops have started from both sides. These are the first signs of pullback from China: Sources
China, India have pulled back troops in tense Galwan valley and a buffer zone has been created, according to media reports.
Indian Army to place emergency orders for extreme cold weather tents for soldiers on LAC
- With over 30,000 additional troops being deployed in the Ladakh sector to counter the Chinese aggression, the Indian Army is going to place emergency orders for extreme cold weather tents for the soldiers on the borders.
- The need for the tents is being felt as the deployment on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is expected to be prolonged as the senior armed forces officers feel that the stand-off is likely to continue at least till September-October timeframe.
- Even if the Chinese withdraw from the locations, we cannot take chances for the future as well. The guard will always have to be up and that is why, we are going to place orders for thousands of tents for extreme cold weather survival in Eastern Ladakh sector, top Army sources told ANI.
- "All along the border, apart from weaponry and ammunition, the major focus of our emergency procurement would be on providing for habitat for soldiers," they said.
- The Chinese have already started pitching in their special winter tents and the Indian side, which has similar tents and structures in Siachen glacier, has used some of these in the Eastern Ladakh sector but the need is for a large number of these tents, the sources said.
- The force is looking at both Indian and European markets for such tents as the focus is on to procure them before the extreme cold weather sets in, they said.
US Navy
And yet, there they are. Two @USNavy aircraft carriers operating in the international waters of the South China Sea… https://t.co/zv6VSB5JXJ
— Navy Chief of Information (@chinfo) 159395824200030,000 Indian troops in eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Chinese
- Around 30,000 troops of Indian Army are in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LoC) in Ladakh, following the additional deployment of three brigades since the violent face-off last month.
- Highly placed sources told IANS that in normal times six brigades, that is two divisions are maintained along the LAC in Ladakh, even as troops are deployed in and out on a rotation basis. However, after the June 15 violent clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers including a commander was killed and over 70 soldiers injured, the Army called for three additional brigades (each brigade constitutes around 3,000 troops and support elements).
- Around 10,000 troops for the three additional brigades were brought from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, sources said. In all, sources said, there are three Army divisions along the LAC under the XIV Corps Command, as of today. The XIV, the biggest corps of the Army in India, was set up during the 1962 war with China.
- Sources said some para special forces which played a key role in the 2017 surgical strikes against Pakistan, have also been sent to Ladakh. The Indian para troopers come from over a dozen special forces regiments who are trained in high-risk operations in extremely difficult terrain. Similarly, five battalions of Ladakh scouts, an infantry regiment of the Army, is operational for support in the mountain warfare.
- Since the violent clash in the Galwan valley, the Indian Army reinforcements have been backed by its M-777 ultra-light howitzers bought from the US, sources said. The American howitzers, sling-loaded to helicopters, are known for their precision artillery fire up to a range of 24-30 kms in mountainous regions.
As China asserts its dominance over post-pandemic world, countries unite against Beijing's 'bully tactics'
- Chinese President Xi Jinping has apparently decided that this is the right time to assert dominance and territorial expansionism when the global economies are reeling with the side-effects of a deadly pandemic outbreak, but instead of just rolling over, a growing number of nations are fighting back, the New York Post reported.
- New Delhi raising of tariffs on Chinese goods, restricting Chinese investments and banning TikTok as well as 58 other Chinese apps from Indian phones is one of the latest in the bid to demonstrate that India, for one, is clearly not intimidated by China's growing hawk policies.
- Not only this, but many Indians are also now boycotting "Made in China" products, a task made easier because online retailers like Amazon have been ordered by New Delhi to tell buyers where products are made.
- The respective developments from the Indian side came in response to China's unprovoked attack against Indian border personnel at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh on June 15, as a result of which the world's largest democracy had moved some 30,000 troops to the Himalayan border to counter any further provocative actions by the Communist Party regime, according to the New York Post.
- Meanwhile, the people of the Philippines are up in arms over China's expansionism into areas of the South China Sea claimed by Manilla after a Philippine fishing boat sunk in its own territorial waters by increasingly predatory Chinese ships.
Rahul Gandhi does not attend a single meeting of Standing Committee on Defence. But sadly, he continues to demoralise the nation, question the valour of our armed forces and do everything that a responsible opposition leader should not do.
- Jagat Prakash Nadda, BJP President
Bucking China pressure, Taiwan, Somaliland establish ties
- Taiwan has scored a rare diplomatic victory in establishing relations with the independent region of Somaliland
- Intense pressure from China has reduced self-governing, democratic Taiwan to having just 15 diplomatic allies and being excluded from the United Nations and most other international organizations where Beijing has leverage.
- China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be brought under its control by military force if it deems necessary. In elections and public opinion surveys, Taiwanese have overwhelmingly rejected political union with China.
- Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 as the country collapsed into warlord-led conflict and has seen little of the violence and extremist attacks that plague its neighbor to the south. Despite lacking international recognition, the region has maintained its own independent government, currency and security system
BJP Chief's scathing attack on Rahul
Rahul Gandhi belongs to that glorious dynastic tradition where as far as defence is concerned, committees don’t mat… https://t.co/QVGpvgk3Ty
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) 1594009577000No overt show but India & US in touch at top level
- The US has not been sitting on the sidelines as Indian and Chinese troops remain locked in a tense standoff in eastern Ladakh. On June 22, a week after the Galwan clashes, US secretary of state Michael Pompeo called foreign minister S Jaishankar for a conversation on the current state of play at the LAC.
- There has been high-level exchange of information between the two countries. India and the US are treading carefully, both sides aware that any overt show of support could set off the Chinese. High-level sources told that Jaishankar had, in addition to Pompeo, spoken to his counterparts from France, Germany, Japan, UK, Indonesia, Canada and Australia among others in the past week to apprise them of the situation as it is evolving.
- But mostly, India wants to deal with China on a bilateral basis. On Sunday, the US Navy tweeted "@USNavy aircraft carriers operating in the international waters of the South China Sea. #USSNimitz & #USSRonaldReagan are not intimidated." This was in response to Chinese official handles tweeting about their batteries of anti-aircraft carrier weapons aimed at US aircraft carriers currently deployed in the South China Sea.
In Pics | US Navy's show of strength in South China Sea
How we roll. ������ In case you missed it: The USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and Ronald Reagan CSGs are conducting dual-carrier… https://t.co/65fpQmjVNj
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) 1593999440000Ladakh Scouts should be given major role along LAC: Veterans
- Army veterans from Ladakh claim that Ladakh Scouts should be given a major role on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as locals are more acclimatised to the harsh terrain and are more aware of key strategic points than the regular soldiers. They feel that the strategic and tactical Chinese intrusions to control the mountainous ark around Leh, which have been continuing for several years now, have been ignored by the central governments.
- The veterans, who have fought in the India-China war in 1962 and Kargil War in 1999, stated that war was no solution and the two countries should use all diplomatic channels to restore status quo.
- They suggested that Ladakh Scouts should be given a major role along the LAC as the other army units, which are transferred on a regular basis, were often unable to acclimatise with the environment and cannot have a long-term engagement policy for any border issue.
- "Chinese have intruded at very crucial points and it is catering to their long-term strategy to take over Ladakh. Thus, Galwan Valley is also crucial and cannot be given away under any circumstances," Naik Elihud George, who served in the 1962 India-China war told ET. However, he said that war should be the last resort to resolve any border issue.
- "I suggest that Ladakh Scouts should be given a major role on the LAC as locals are naturally more fit to fight and serve on these treacherous heights," said George, who reminisces his tough treks to Daulat Beg Oldie in 1962, when surviving the terrain itself was a challenge.
Ladakhi poet dedicates composition honouring bravehearts of Galwan clash
- As a warm gesture, Phunsuk Ladakhi, a poet recited his composition on the bravery of Indian Army who fought in the Galwan Valley clash.
- Speaking to ANI, Ladakhi said, "Whenever I write something, I write it on the basis of facts and not imagination like on -- Dalai Lama and Ladakh. Today, young and brave youth from all across are present in Ladakh. So it is the way of the earth that we have such heroes here. People from various districts are deployed in the Army."
- "The people of Ladakh are passionate and in consciousness amid the current situation. If someone attacks us, we will face it together with the force and government," he said.
- Ladakhi recited a few lines from his poem in Hindi (roughly translated in English). "Khake saugandh mitti ki, pee ke paani Sindh ke, Shola banke barsa 16 Bihar paap pe, shatru pe (By pledging the sand, drinking Sindh water 16 Bihar Regiment attacked the enemy and destroyed the sins)."
Highways ministry ups border roads upkeep funds by 4 times
- In a significant ramp up in the context of the ongoing border standoff with China, the road transport and highways ministry has increased four-fold the allocation for maintenance of border roads managed by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) from Rs 30 crore to Rs 120 crore for this year.
- The decision reflects the strategic imperatives that have emerged in the wake of the military face off and the government's renewed focus on stepping up the infrastructure in border areas so as to allow swifter and smoother movement of troops and military supply chains.
- The ministry has also significantly increased the ceiling for sanction of new national highway works in border states. In Ladakh, for example, works up to Rs 589 crore can be approved against the earlier cap of Rs 72 crore. This comes at a time when the government is accelerating the development works in the newly created Union Territory and recent development of critical border roads is seen as an important trigger for Chinese aggression along the line of actual control.
- While BRO comes under the defence ministry, the highways ministry allocates fund from its budget to BRO for stretches which have been entrusted to them.
- Improving border roads has gained momentum in recent years. Recently, NHIDCL, which is responsible for development national highways in border and hill states had mobilised its workforce after a slump due to Covid by offering to double wages and even increased them up to 170% in some categories for road construction activities in high altitude regions, many of which are in border areas adjoining China.
- The extent of Chinese mobilisation along the LAC and its intrusions at certain points saw the government further scaling up the already accelerated pace of infrastructure development near the borders.
Watch | Indian Coast Guard rescues 6 Sri Lankan fishermen from rough seas
#WATCH Six Sri Lankan fishermen being rescued by merchant vessel YM Summit 170 nautical miles east of Chennai, Tami… https://t.co/xxISHa1v2O
— ANI (@ANI) 1593970777000Days after his surprise Leh visit, PM Modi calls on Prez Kovind
- Amid tensions on the India-China border in eastern Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on President Ram Nath Kovind. The PM's visit came two days after his Leh visit. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him on issues of national and international importance at Rashtrapati Bhavan today," a statement on the President's Twitter handle said.
- The PM had made a surprise visit to Ladakh on Friday and was briefed by senior officers at Nimu near Leh amid the border tension with China. He was accompanied by chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat and Army chief General M M Naravane.
- This was the PM's first meeting with the President since the border tensions began. Kovind, as the supreme commander of the armed forces, had lauded the "exemplary courage and supreme sacrifice" of Indian soldiers to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
Fire at Iran's nuclear facility slows down development of advanced centrifuges
- A fire that broke out at Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment plant would slow down the development of advanced centrifugal machines, Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said on Sunday (local time).
- Kamalvandi, said that the country was going to produce samples of advanced centrifugal machines at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant before it was damaged by a fire, which would now slow down the production process, reported Sputnik.
- The official also confirmed that the incident caused serious material and financial damage, adding that some of the equipment was completely destroyed, as per the report.
- According to the Sputnik report, the spokesman also, however, noted that Iran would rebuild and expand the facility, the construction of which started seven years ago but was never completed amid the nuclear deal hassles.
Large projects on to augment India's border infra: Gadkari
- To augment India's border infrastructure, a large number of highway projects are underway including in Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, both by the BRO as well as NHIDCL, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said.
- Work is also progressing on 17 strategic highway-cum-airstrips, three of which have been completed, he said.
- Besides, work is on in full swing on the Rs 12,000 crore ambitious Chardham project for providing all-weather connectivity to Gangotri, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Badrinath.
- The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has achieved a major milestone in the project by successfully digging a 440-metre long tunnel below the busy Chamba town on the Rishikesh-Dharasu national highway, he said.
Global Times on 'Boycott China'
#India continues to rely on Chinese products to counter COVID-19. https://t.co/GG6XZ6cPS8 https://t.co/C21CTca8Pn
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) 1594002002000Indian soldiers unarmed and caught by surprise in China clash, reports Reuters
- Indian soldiers who died in close combat with Chinese troops last month were unarmed and surrounded by a larger force on a steep ridge, Indian government sources, two soldiers deployed in the area and families of the fallen men said.
- One of the Indian soldiers had his throat slit with metal nails in the darkness, his father told Reuters, saying he had been told by a fellow soldier who was there.
- Others fell to their deaths in the freezing waters of the Galwan river in the western Himalayas, relatives have learned from witnesses.
- Twenty Indian soldiers died in the June 15 clash on the de facto border separating the two armies. The soldiers all belonged to the 16th Bihar Regiment deployed in the Galwan region.
- No shots were fired, but it was the biggest loss of life in combat between the nuclear-armed neighbours since 1967, when the simmering border dispute flared into deadly battles.
- Reuters spoke to relatives of 13 of the men who were killed, and in five cases they produced death certificates listing horrific injuries suffered during the six-hour night-time clash at 14,000 ft (4,267 metres) amid remote, barren mountains.
- Reuters contacted the military hospital in India's Ladakh region where the bodies were brought. The hospital declined to comment on the cause of death and said that the bodies were sent to the families along with the death certificates.
US sends 2 aircraft carriers to South China Sea during PLA drills
- Two US aircraft carriers were conducting exercises in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, the US navy said, as China also carried out military drills that have been criticised by the Pentagon and neighbouring states.
- China and the US have accused each other of stoking tension in the strategic waterway. The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan were carrying out operations and exercises in the South China Sea "to support a free and open IndoPacific", the navy said in a statement.
- It did not say exactly where the exercises were being conducted in the South China Sea, which extends for some 1,500 km, and 90% of which is claimed by China despite the protests of its neighbours.
- "The purpose is to show an unambiguous signal to our partners and allies that we are committed to regional security and stability," Rear Admiral George M. Wikoff was quoted as saying by the Wall Street Journal. Wikoff, commander of the strike group led by the Ronald Reagan, said the exercises were not a response to those being conducted by China, which the Pentagon criticised as "counter-productive to efforts at easing tensions".
- China had announced five days of drills starting July 1 near the Paracel Islands, which are claimed by both Vietnam and China.
Russia’s ‘Quiet Diplomacy’ helped in reducing tensions between Delhi and Beijing
- Russia played a low-key, but useful, role in reducing tensions between New Delhi and Beijing that contributed to the release of the 10 Indian Army men captured on June 15 (when 20 Indian Army personnel were killed by the Chinese) ahead of the Russia-India-China (RIC) foreign ministers’ meet on June 23.
- The efforts included lowering of tensions between India and China following the June 15 incident at Galwan Valley and advocating dialogue and negotiations that led to the release of 10 Indian soldiers captured by PLA, ET has gathered. Sources said Russia played a low-key, but useful, role in reducing tensions after the June 15 episode. The capture of the army men had cast a shadow on the RIC meet, with India finding it difficult to attend the meet under those circumstances.
- Publicly, the Kremlin, Russian foreign minister and the Russian envoy to India gave statements after June 15, mentioning that Moscow is watching with great attention what is happening along LAC and urged for restoring predictability and stability in the region.
- It may be recalled that ahead of the RIC meet on June 23, intense negotiations through diplomatic and military channels led to the release of 10 Indian soldiers.
Just 10 days ago, seriously injured soldiers shifted out of Ladakh
- Around 40 Indian soldiers were seriously injured in the violent face-off. These soldiers had been moved for specialized treatment to Chandigarh and New Delhi ten days before the PM's visit. Over 70 Indian soldiers were injured in the violent clash with Chinese troops on June 15.
India’s spending on LAC roads has tripled in 4 years
- India has almost tripled its expenditure on roads along the China border in the past four years compared to what it spent in the decade until 2016, resulting in significant upgrade of roads and bridges which is now at the core of the standoff with China.
- Based on the data available with the government, ET has gathered that between 2016 and 2020-21, the allocation for these roads witnessed a sharp increase from about Rs 4,600 crore to Rs 11,800 crore.
- This is a significant rise in contrast to the fact that from 2008 to 2016, the government spending on these roads increased by just Rs 1,300 crore from Rs 3,300 crore in 2008 to Rs 4,600 crore in 2016.
As India-China standoff enters its third month, Ladakh stalemate continues
- While the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh entered its third month, officials say the ground situation remains tense and not much has changed after a series of talks aimed at de-escalation.
- The faceoff is likely to be a longdrawn affair, with the Army preparing for it to enter the winter months that are particularly hard in Ladakh. Sources said the armed forces remained on full alert in Ladakh. The Air Force has enhanced operations and surveillance on the border as there is a deep sense of distrust with the PLA that had earlier too promised to retreat from the flashpoints.
- However, after corps commander-level talks to de-escalate, the PLA on June 15 attacked an Indian patrol party that had gone to the border in Galwan Valley to verify the withdrawal.
Used to buy from China as well, but changed our strategy, we will be self-reliant: Hero Cycles CMD
- About Rs 900 crore worth trade deals with China is being reduced in a phased manner. Hero Cycles used to buy from various parts (of the world) including China. They're now designing them in their German R&D facility.
India-China tussle: Latest developments
- PM Modi's visit to Ladakh boosted morale of security forces, says ITBP DG
- Indian government should make Tibet one of the key issues in its policies on China: Lobsang Sanga
- Modi's Ladakh visit underscored India's resolve to beat back Chinese aggression: Strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney
Copyright © 2020 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
^Go to Top
