India-China border tensions:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday pushed for the restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in eastern Ladakh during talks with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe in Moscow, in the first highest-level face-to-face contact between the two sides after the border row erupted in Ladakh in early May.
Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane was in Leh on Friday as part of his two-day visit amid the ongoing India-China border face-off in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Army thwarted the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) attempt to change the status quo on the southern bank of the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh. The incident at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.
China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report, the number was 35. India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in eastern Ladakh.
Here are the live updates on the India-China border tensions at South Bank of the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh:
Defence minister Rajnath Singh meets his Chinese counterpart: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday pushed for the restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in eastern Ladakh during talks with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe in Moscow, in the first highest-level face-to-face contact between the two sides after the border row erupted in Ladakh in early May.The focus of the talks that lasted nearly two and a half hours was on ways to resolve the prolonged border standoff, sources said.
Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia D B Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation.
Sources said the Indian delegation strongly objected to Chinese army's fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh and insisted on a resolution of the standoff through talks.
Chinese defence minister reaches hotel for talks: The defence minister of China, General Fenghe has reached the Hotel Metropol in Moscow where Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh will be meeting his counterpart.
Rajnath set to meet Chinese Defence Minister in Moscow shortly: In the midst of heightened tensions in eastern Ladakh, union defence minister Rajnath Singh is set to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe on Friday evening in Moscow, government sources said. The meeting is scheduled to start at 9:30 PM (IST), they said. It will be the first highlevel meeting between the two sides after the border row escalated in eastern Ladakh in early May though External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the row.
China planning building spree in Tibet: China is planning a more than 1 trillion yuan ($146 billion) push to accelerate infrastructure investment in Tibet, including new and previously announced projects, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The renewed push to step-up development of the remote and impoverished southwestern region signals Beijing's intent to bolster frontier security amid heightened border tensions with India in recent months, two of the sources said. Last week, during a senior Communist Party meeting on Tibet's future governance, President Xi Jinping lauded achievements and praised frontline officials but said more efforts were needed to enrich, rejuvenate and strengthen unity in the region. He said a number of major infrastructure projects and public facilities would be completed, including the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, according to remarks published by the official Xinhua news agency.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will provide subsidies to Japanese manufacturers which shift their manufacturing from China to ASEAN countries. It will add India and Bangladesh to the list of relocation destinations: Japanese media (Source: ANI)
India army chief says talks can resolve border row with China: India's army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Friday he was confident that the ongoing border stand-off with China in the western Himalayas could be resolved through talks. "We are sure that the problem can be resolved fully through talks," Naravane told Reuters partner ANI during a visit to the Ladakh region, where troops from the two nuclear-armed countries have been squaring off for months. "The situation along the LAC is slightly tense," Naravane said, referring to the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border, along parts of which India has deployed additional troops to stall any attempted Chinese incursions.
The situation along the China border serious, Indian Army has taken ample precautionary steps, news agency ANI cited Army Chief MM Naravane. The Indian Army chief is currently on a visit to Leh to review the ongoing situation. Naravane, who arrived in Ladakh on Thursday said the morale of the jawans is high and they are ready to face any challenge, the agency added. China has moved additional forces opposite the Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh after a large number of well-armed Indian troops occupied virtually all the dominating heights from Thakung to Reqin La over the weekend to pre-empt any misadventure by Chinese soldiers. “The situation all along the LAC is tense, with heavy deployments by both sides. But it’s like a tinderbox in eastern Ladakh,” a ToI report quoted an unnamed senior official as saying.
China's rise takes the world into uncharted waters: Twice in the 20th century, Japan challenged the West, first in a military-led attempt to become an imperial power and then as an industrial powerhouse. Now it is Chinas turn to take the global stage. Seventy-five years after Japan's surrender in World War II, and 30 years after its economic bubble popped, the emergence of a 21st-century Asian power is shaking up the status quo. As Japan did, China is butting heads with the established Western powers, which increasingly see its growing economic and military prowess as a threat. In turn, China, again like Japan, feels the West is trying to limit its rise, fueling nationalistic sentiment among both its public and leaders. What's changed, though, is the global landscape post-colonial to start, and one of the nuclear-armed states, global institutions and much deeper economic interdependence. Chinas goals are similar to Japan to assert control in its immediate neighborhood while securing resources for its economic growth but its means are different. Rather than imposing direct control through armed invasion, China is relying on economic enticements, cultural outreach and a gradual buildup of its military forces to boost its standing. The means by which China would increase its power are vastly different, as are the means by which other countries might resist it, said Jennifer Lind, an Asia expert at Dartmouth University. (AP) Chinese Defence Minister understood to have sought meeting with Rajnath Singh: Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghi is understood to have sought a meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of a key Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meet in Moscow, people familiar with the development said on Thursday. Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a tense border row in eastern Ladakh for nearly four months now. Singh and Wei are currently in Moscow to attend a meeting of SCO defence ministers on Friday. According to information, the Chinese side conveyed to the Indian mission its keenness to have a meeting between the two defence ministers.
Prolonged impasse on China border can have high economic costs, says ex-foreign secretary: There is a considerable deployment of Indian and Chinese troops on both sides of the border and a continuing standoff during the winter season may lead to high economic costs and a "fairly prolonged impasse", former foreign secretary Shyam Saran said on Thursday. The comments came amid the Ministry of External Affairs saying on Thursday that the situation witnessed in the border areas in eastern Ladakh over the past four months is a "direct result" of actions taken by China aimed at effecting unilateral change in the status quo of the region. In an interview with Karan Thapar for news website The Wire, Saran said, "The Chinese have suggested that the process of disengagement is complete—as if nothing more needs to be done. There does not seem to be any intention, for example, to vacate some of the additional areas which they have occupied in the Pangong lake area..." Saran also said, "My sense is, if this, for example, continues during the winter—which would be very difficult because this area is very inhospitable during winter it would require a considerable investment in setting up heated dwelling units, making certain you have enough equipment for use during very very severe winters."
Chinese Embassy statement on the recent app ban: We are seriously concerned and firmly oppose the Indian government to prohibit Mobile APPs with Chinese background with the excuse of “national security”. We urge the Indian government to rectify the discriminatory practices violating WTO rules and provide an open, fair, and impartial business environment for all market players from various countries including China. The Chinese government has always required Chinese overseas companies to abide by international rules and operate in compliance with laws and regulations. The relevant practices by the Indian government not only harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese investors and service providers but also harm the interests of Indian consumers and the investment environment. Suppression, self-seclusion, and restrictions cannot benefit one country’s development. It’s the right way to integrate into global cooperation by being open, fair and transparent.
Army chief General M M Naravane reaches Ladakh on a two-day trip to review the latest operational situation amidst the heightened military tensions with China after Indian soldiers occupied heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso-Chushul sector over the weekend, report ToI. China now has the world’s largest navy, eyes Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar bases: China now has the largest Navy in the world and is aggressively looking to set up logistical bases in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance its strategic reach, while also working assiduously towards at least doubling the number of its nuclear warheads over the next decade, a ToI report said. This is the latest assessment of China’s expanding military might, ranging from long-range missiles and nuclear submarines to integrated air defence, space and electronic warfare capabilities, by the Pentagon in its detailed report presented to the US Congress on Tuesday, it added. With an overall force of around 350 warships and submarines, including over 130 “major surface combatants”, China has overtaken even the US Navy’s force-level of 293 warships, said the report. The US Navy, of course, is much more technologically advanced, with as many as 11 “super” 100,000-tonne aircraft carriers (each can carry 80-90 fighters) as compared as to the two of China. But China is building two more aircraft carriers, with the eventual aim of having 10, as per Indian officials.
Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria visited bases in Eastern Air Command on Wednesday: On arrival at the bases in Eastern Air Command, the CAS was received by respective Air Officers Commanding who apprised him of the readiness state and operational preparedness of the combat units under their command. The CAS also met and interacted with air warriors serving in these units during the course of his visit. He lauded the focussed efforts by the station personnel towards maintaining proficiency in all roles envisaged and urged them to continue performing their duty with due diligence.
Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane is visiting Leh on Thursday to review the ongoing security situation there. He will be briefed by senior field commanders on the ground situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC): Army Sources
China seeks to set up military logistic facilities in Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Myanmar, says Pentagon: China is seeking to set up more robust logistics facilities in about a dozen countries, including three in India's neighbourhood, to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances, according to a Pentagon report. In addition to the three neighbours of India Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar the other countries where China is considering to base its military logistics and infrastructure facilities are Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola and Tajikistan, the report said on Tuesday. In its annual report Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China (PRC) 2020 that was submitted to the US Congress, the Pentagon said these potential Chinese military logistics facilities are in addition to the Chinese military base in Djibouti, which is aimed at supporting naval, air and ground forces projection.
Hemant Adlakha to CNBC-TV18: Chinese media commentary on weekend's incidents makes mention of belligerent acts by India. Their reasons for India's belligerence are surprising. China has claimed India's actions are aiming to help America deploy missiles from newfound positions in India. Chinese media has claimed that the Japanese PM's resignation has to do with American pressure to use Japan as a missile base. Chinese media claiming that India is a safe and effective destination for American missile bases.
Lt Gen Hasnain to CNBC-TV18: Very clear that Chinese aren't operating from a position of strength anymore. What has irked China is India's growing strategic confidence. China has felt that India has been getting out of hand in terms of strategic confidence. China capitalising on pandemic and poor economic situation in order to play mind games.
KC Singh to CNBC-TV18: Diplomatic and military level talks isn't working out for both sides. Talking peace isn't working out for India. The degree of equivalence at play between India and China, which seems to be working better than India speaking from a position of weakness. China has expressed unexpected ire which means India has managed to get under its skin.
India-China remain locked in South Bank of Pangong Tso, CNBC-TV18's Parikshit Luthra reports. India is dominating the South Bank of Pangong Tso with troops on both sides within close firing range of each other. The distance between the Indian and the Chinese troops is just 1 km and the ball is now in China's court to resolve the tensions between the two sides.
China foreign ministry says no Indian troops died along the border: China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday no Indian troops had died along the countries' shared border, as fresh tensions flared up on the frontier, Reuters reported. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying spoke at a news briefing in Beijing, the news agency added.
Tapir Gao, a member of parliament from Arunachal, told Reuters that Chinese troops had been regularly crossing into Indian territory. "It's a regular phenomenon, it's nothing new," he said, identifying the Walong and Chaglagam areas in Anjaw as the most vulnerable. In the 1962 war, India says its outnumbered forces "blocked the thrust of the invading Chinese" in Walong, and the area of mountains, meadows and fast-flowing rivers is now a government focus for settlement and road-building.
An Indian military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Wardhan Pande, said there was no cause for concern and the troops arriving in the area were part of the regular rotation. "Basically, it's units changing. That's happening as it happens every time, nothing much," Pande told Reuters from near Guwahati, the largest city in northeastern India. "As of now, there's nothing to worry about on that front." (Reuters)
India has moved troops to its eastern stretch of border with China since clashes erupted between the nuclear-armed rivals on the western part of their border in the Himalayas in June, Reuters quoted a government official as saying. The movement of troops to the eastern district of Anjaw, in Arunachal Pradesh state, which China also claims, raises the prospect of a wider face-off though both government and military officials in India ruled out any imminent confrontation.
"The military presence has surely increased, but as far as incursions are concerned, there are no verified reports as such," Reuters quoted Ayushi Sudan, Anjaw's chief civil servant, adding that several Indian army battalions were stationed there. "There has been an increase in troop deployment since the Galwan incident, and even prior to that we'd started," she told Reuters by telephone, referring to the June clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh in the wake of China's "provocative" military maneuvers to change the status quo in the southern bank area of Pangong lake. It was decided at the nearly two-hour meeting that Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing in all sensitive areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to effectively deal with any Chinese "misadventure", news agency PTI cited official sources as saying. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria among others, they said.
In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.
The two sides were earlier engaged in a confrontation on the northern bank of Pangong Lake but it was for the first time such an incident occurred on its southern bank. Following the Chinese attempt, the Indian Army has significantly strengthened its presence on a number of "strategic heights" around the Pangong Lake besides further bolstering its presence in the area. A battalion of the Special Frontier Force was also deployed in the area. It is learnt that Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane reviewed the overall situation in eastern Ladakh at a high-level meeting in the Army headquarters.
Brigade Commander level talks between India and China are currently underway. The talks were to be held again today at 10 am at Chushul talks hut, situated 8.9km from the Indian positions at Kaala Top/Helmet Top and 20km from the Indian positions at Reqin La. This is the third round of talks since China attempted to build a post in Southern Bank of Pangong Tso.
India and China on Tuesday held another round of military talks to ease escalating tension triggered by a fresh confrontation between the two sides on the southern bank of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, government sources said. The Brigade Commander-level talks began at 10 am in Chushul on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh with a specific agenda to discuss the situation around the Pangong lake, they said.
On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong Lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops. The two sides held talks for around six hours on Monday as well but no concrete outcome emerged from the engagement, PTI reported citing sources. They said a sizeable number of Chinese troops attempted to occupy the area in a bid to open a new front as the two sides continue to hold talks to resolve the three-and-half-month-long border row.—with inputs from agencies
First Published: Sept 4, 2020 9:44 AM IST
