Here's how India is responding to China's provocations
(file photo) India China border
Indian and Chinese militaries are holding a second round of senior military-level talks on Monday in an attempt to lower the temperature following the violent clashes in Galwan Valley last week in which 20 Army personnel were killed in action.
The Indian delegation at the talks is being led by 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh while the Chinese side was to be headed byMajor General Lin Liu, the commander of the South Xinjiang Military District,
Meanwhile, the Indian Army Chief, General MM Naravane, is expected to visit Ladakh soon to review the security arrangements.
Amidst the continuing standoff between the Indian Army and China''s PLA, the Centre on Monday reviewed ongoing road projects along the Sino-Indian border, and decided to expedite work on 32 of them.
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The decision was taken at a high-level meeting convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and attended by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) among others.
Furthermore, the Central government has granted more financial power to DefenceForces under which they can buy any ammunition or weapon of up to Rs 500 crore without seeking clearances.
The government has also given the Armed Forces "full freedom" to give a "befitting" response to any Chinese misadventure along the 3,500-km de-facto border.
As India makes these moves, China is watching closely and speaking through its state media. "If Indian soldiers use firearms against Chinese soldiers in the future, there will be a different picture in the border areas," quotedthe Global Times.
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In the past, India never took pre-emptive measures and only offered localised resistance, but New Delhi is changing the game to give its Armed Forces an edge, and this has baffled Beijing.
Experts suggest that India must bolster its border areas in Ladakh, putting together necessary infrastructure the Army would need for any future confrontation with China.
(With inputs from PTI)