Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane will visit Ladakh to meet the injured soldiers and review the force preparedness as well as the deployment across the Line of Actual Control with China.

Indian Army Chief Gen Naravane to meet injured soldiers in Ladakh today

India and China are holding Corps Commander-level talks at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control opposite Chushul to discuss the ongoing dispute in Ladakh. Watch report.

Ladakh standoff: India, China hold second round of Lt General-level talks

Talks between senior commanders of India and China have arrived at a consensus to "disengage" from all friction points in eastern Ladakh. Watch report.

India-China standoff: India, China agree to disengage from all friction points in Ladakh

India-China Maj Gen levels talks underway: Border meeting point | India-China standoff

India-China Maj Gen levels talk underway in Moldo: Focus will be de-escalation at various points

After widespread speculation that several Indian soldiers are in Chinese custody. The Indian Army has set the record straight confirming that all soldiers involved in the Galwan valley skirmish are accounted for.

India-China standoff | No Indian soldiers missing: All injured personnel stable

An Army officer and two jawans were killed during a "violent stand-off" between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh on June 15. In a statement, the Indian Army said that the senior military officials of India and China are currently meeting to defuse the situation in the region

'Casualties suffered on both sides in violent face-off at Galwan valley' says Indian Army

'In a major violent face-off between India and China at Galwan Valley, both the sides faced casualties' officially said by the Indian Army. There was no incident of firing took place at the ground zero also confirmed by the same sources. According to China 'Indian army invaded and crosses LAC twice yesterday and in retaliation Chinese PLA reacted'

'India crossed LAC twice on Monday, provoked & attacked Chinese personnel' says China

An Army officer and two jawans were killed during a "violent stand-off" between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh on June 15. In a statement, the Indian Army said that the senior military officials of India and China are currently meeting to defuse the situation in the region. Watch report.

India China standoff: Indian Army's press conference at 2 PM

A Colonel-rank officer and two soldiers of the Indian Army were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley area of Ladakh on June 15 night. The face-off took place during efforts to de-escalate the prevailing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Watch report.

Breaking News: Violent face off at India-China border | 3 casualties on Indian side

China on June 10 refused to give details about the disengagement of border troops of the two countries along the line of actual control (LAC) in Ladakh. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the armies of India and China had undertaken a “limited disengagement” in eastern Ladakh to demonstrate intent to end the month-long border standoff ahead of another round of military talks on Wednesday.

China-India border tensions:  We have reached a positive consensus with India, says China

Ahead of the next round of military-level talks scheduled to start this week, Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged on the ground at multiple locations on Line of Actual Control, according to a report. Watch report.

Indian, Chinese troops disengage on LAC ahead of talks: China troops retreat by 2-2.5 km

In an attempt to resolve the month-long bitter standoff between India and China, the top tactical army commanders of both the countries are meeting today at Chushul-Moldo border personnel meeting (BPM) point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

India, China look to break deadlock | India-China border standoff

There is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) and there are areas along LAC where India and China have differing perception of LAC, while 1,025 incidents of transgression were reported during the past three years, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

In a written reply, the Ministry of Defence said,&nbsp;"There is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) and there are areas along LAC where both sides have differing perception of LAC."

Sharing details about the transgression, the ministry said that in 2016, there were 273 incidents of transgression, 426 in 2017, 326 in 2018 and for the current year, the information is being collected, "Due to both (India and China) sides undertaking patrolling up to their respective perception of the LAC, transgressions do occur," said the ministry.

In reply to the question, if the matter of such incursions and transgressions has been discussed with the Chinese President during his visit to India in the recent past, the ministry said, "During the recent visit of Chinese President (Xi Jinping) to India, views were exchanged on outstanding issues including on the boundary question."

"Issues discussed also included efforts to arrive at a mutually-agreed framework for a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement based on political parameters and guiding principles agreed by two sides in 2005. There were talks on continued efforts to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas and additional confidence-building measures," added the ministry.&nbsp;

There is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) and there are areas along LAC where India and China have differing perception of LAC, while 1,025 incidents of transgression were reported during the past three years, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

There is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) and there are areas along LAC where India and China have differing perception of LAC, while 1,025 incidents of transgression were reported during the past three years, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. In a written reply, the Ministry of Defence said, "There is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) and there are areas along LAC where both sides have differing perception of LAC." Sharing details about the transgression, the ministry said that in 2016, there were 273 incidents of transgression, 426 in 2017, 326 in 2018 and for the current year, the information is being collected, "Due to both (India and China) sides undertaking patrolling up to their respective perception of the LAC, transgressions do occur," said the ministry. In reply to the question, if the matter of such incursions and transgressions has been discussed with the Chinese President during his visit to India in the recent past, the ministry said, "During the recent visit of Chinese President (Xi Jinping) to India, views were exchanged on outstanding issues including on the boundary question." "Issues discussed also included efforts to arrive at a mutually-agreed framework for a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement based on political parameters and guiding principles agreed by two sides in 2005. There were talks on continued efforts to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas and additional confidence-building measures," added the ministry.

No commonly delineated LAC between India and China, 1,025 incidents of transgression during 2016-18: Government

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to visit Leh next week to review the security situation in the region which shares borders with both China and Pakistan.

"The Defence Minister is likely to visit Leh in the beginning of next week where there is a plan to visit forward bases and locations," Defence sources said here.

Rajnath Singh may visit the Daulat Beg Oldie and other areas on the Line of Actual Control and may inaugurate new infrastructure projects there.

The visit is likely to take place at a time when the Indian Army carried out a major exercise codenamed 'Chang Thang'&nbsp;in the high altitude areas of the Ladakh region close to the China border.

During the exercise, India had deployed a large number of infantry troops along with the frontline tank regiments which have been deployed there in recent years.

An armoured brigade has been deployed on the China border a few years ago after they were flown in the Indian Air Force's American-built C-17 Globemaster heavy-lift transport aircraft there.

Rajnath Singh has been travelling extensively to defence bases to get to know the working conditions of the troops and has even flown in fighter aircraft.

Ladakh, which soon will be known as a union territory, is a unique region as it shares its borders with China and Pakistan.

While on the one side is the Siachen-Kargil-Drass axis on the Pakistan front, it shares a long border with China on the eastern side.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to visit Leh next week to review the security situation in the region which shares borders with both China and Pakistan.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to visit Leh next week to review the security situation in the region which shares borders with both China and Pakistan. "The Defence Minister is likely to visit Leh in the beginning of next week where there is a plan to visit forward bases and locations," Defence sources said here. Rajnath Singh may visit the Daulat Beg Oldie and other areas on the Line of Actual Control and may inaugurate new infrastructure projects there. The visit is likely to take place at a time when the Indian Army carried out a major exercise codenamed 'Chang Thang' in the high altitude areas of the Ladakh region close to the China border. During the exercise, India had deployed a large number of infantry troops along with the frontline tank regiments which have been deployed there in recent years. An armoured brigade has been deployed on the China border a few years ago after they were flown in the Indian Air Force's American-built C-17 Globemaster heavy-lift transport aircraft there. Rajnath Singh has been travelling extensively to defence bases to get to know the working conditions of the troops and has even flown in fighter aircraft. Ladakh, which soon will be known as a union territory, is a unique region as it shares its borders with China and Pakistan. While on the one side is the Siachen-Kargil-Drass axis on the Pakistan front, it shares a long border with China on the eastern side.

Rajnath Singh likely to visit Ladakh next week to review security situation

China has objected to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's birthday celebration in Ladakh while demanding all activities that may be for "splitting Tibet" be banned.

Army sources told ANI on Friday that Chinese Army personnel, wearing civilian clothes, came in a civilian vehicle and stationed themselves on their side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Demchok area in Ladakh when the villagers were organising the birthday of the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama on July 5-6.

Chinese from their side of the LAC said that all activities that may be for&nbsp;splitting Tibet must be banned, said army sources.

A few years ago, China has objected to Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh In retaliation to his visit to the state, China had renamed six places in Arunachal Pradesh.

Army sources also refuted reports claiming that PLA had infiltrated several km inside the Indian territory in Ladakh on July 5-6.

&nbsp;

China has objected to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's birthday celebration in Ladakh while demanding all activities that may be for "splitting Tibet" be banned.

China has objected to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's birthday celebration in Ladakh while demanding all activities that may be for "splitting Tibet" be banned. Army sources told ANI on Friday that Chinese Army personnel, wearing civilian clothes, came in a civilian vehicle and stationed themselves on their side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Demchok area in Ladakh when the villagers were organising the birthday of the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama on July 5-6. Chinese from their side of the LAC said that all activities that may be for splitting Tibet must be banned, said army sources. A few years ago, China has objected to Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh In retaliation to his visit to the state, China had renamed six places in Arunachal Pradesh. Army sources also refuted reports claiming that PLA had infiltrated several km inside the Indian territory in Ladakh on July 5-6.

Chinese object to Dalai Lama's birthday celebration from their side of LAC

China has announced the visit of its military delegation to India, the first after the Dokalam standoff, as a major follow up to the informal summit in April between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping.

India and China in contact with each other about the visit of Chinese military delegation from Western Theatre Command, China's Defence Spokesman Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang said here yesterday.

The Western Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) guards the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.

Currently, the two sides are in consultation with each other on the upcoming visit to India by the border defence delegation from the Western Theatre Command of the PLA, Ren was quoted as saying in the transcript of the media briefing posted on the Chinese defence ministry website today.

"These border-related exchanges between the two sides at different levels will help to strengthen the management and control of border areas. They will also help to build trust between the field troops of the two sides and translate the consensus reached by the two heads of state into real actions," he said.

"The two sides are also in contact with each other regarding other cooperation programmes. We will release relevant information in due course," he said in response to a question about cooperation in the fields of defence and security following the Modi-Xi summit meeting at Wuhan on April 28-29.

The two sides had reached an important consensus on practical cooperation and proper management of differences.

After the 73-day military standoff at Dokalam last year, that caused major disruption in relations, both sides made efforts to improve ties leading up to the Wuhan summit.

Ren said China and India are big countries in Asia and both are also each other's important neighbour.

"The Chinese side attaches great importance to the development of the military-to-military relationship with the Indian side," he said.

"Under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, we are willing to work with the Indian side to expand exchanges, strengthen cooperation, build mutual trust, properly manage differences, and facilitate the development of the mil-to-mil relationship in a healthy and stable manner, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas and safeguard peace and stability in this region," he said.&nbsp

China has announced the visit of its military delegation to India, the first after the Dokalam standoff, as a major follow up to the informal summit in April between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping

China has announced the visit of its military delegation to India, the first after the Dokalam standoff, as a major follow up to the informal summit in April between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping. India and China in contact with each other about the visit of Chinese military delegation from Western Theatre Command, China's Defence Spokesman Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang said here yesterday. The Western Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) guards the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India. Currently, the two sides are in consultation with each other on the upcoming visit to India by the border defence delegation from the Western Theatre Command of the PLA, Ren was quoted as saying in the transcript of the media briefing posted on the Chinese defence ministry website today. "These border-related exchanges between the two sides at different levels will help to strengthen the management and control of border areas. They will also help to build trust between the field troops of the two sides and translate the consensus reached by the two heads of state into real actions," he said. "The two sides are also in contact with each other regarding other cooperation programmes. We will release relevant information in due course," he said in response to a question about cooperation in the fields of defence and security following the Modi-Xi summit meeting at Wuhan on April 28-29. The two sides had reached an important consensus on practical cooperation and proper management of differences. After the 73-day military standoff at Dokalam last year, that caused major disruption in relations, both sides made efforts to improve ties leading up to the Wuhan summit. Ren said China and India are big countries in Asia and both are also each other's important neighbour. "The Chinese side attaches great importance to the development of the military-to-military relationship with the Indian side," he said. "Under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, we are willing to work with the Indian side to expand exchanges, strengthen cooperation, build mutual trust, properly manage differences, and facilitate the development of the mil-to-mil relationship in a healthy and stable manner, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas and safeguard peace and stability in this region," he said.

Post-Dokalam, first Chinese military delegation to visit India

Days after reports revealed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinese-army-builds-tower-camps-along-lac-in-arunachal-pradesh-127449">Chinese&nbsp;presence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh</a>, the state's governor BD Mishra said on Monday that India is "capable enough"&nbsp;to restrict China's entry into its territory.

Calling the Chinese intrusion in Indian territory as&nbsp;"tactics", he added that the Chinese army goes back after India challenges it.

He said, "Chinese troops come near Indian territory, when challenged by Indian troops, they go back. These are their (Chinese) tactics. Indian troops are so capable that the Chinese cannot enter our territory."

On March 31 reports indicated Chinese incursion&nbsp;along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh.

A group of Chinese constructors, including new People's Liberation Army (PLA) camp, was seen along the LAC in the eastern state.

China's intrusion&nbsp;along the international border also included Chinese telecommunications tower and an observation post with a surveillance equipment.

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Chinese troops come near Indian territory, when challenged by Indian troops, they go back.These are their (Chinese) tactics.Indian troops are so capable that the Chinese cannot enter our territory: Arunachal Pradesh Governor on reports of incursions by China into Indian territory <a href="https://t.co/mfiQ7osfrE">pic.twitter.com/mfiQ7osfrE</a>
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On March 31 reports indicated Chinese Infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh

Days after reports revealed Chinese presence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, the state's governor BD Mishra said on Monday that India is "capable enough" to restrict China's entry into its territory. Calling the Chinese intrusion in Indian territory as "tactics", he added that the Chinese army goes back after India challenges it. He said, "Chinese troops come near Indian territory, when challenged by Indian troops, they go back. These are their (Chinese) tactics. Indian troops are so capable that the Chinese cannot enter our territory." On March 31 reports indicated Chinese incursion along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. A group of Chinese constructors, including new People's Liberation Army (PLA) camp, was seen along the LAC in the eastern state. China's intrusion along the international border also included Chinese telecommunications tower and an observation post with a surveillance equipment. Chinese troops come near Indian territory, when challenged by Indian troops, they go back.These are their (Chinese) tactics.Indian troops are so capable that the Chinese cannot enter our territory: Arunachal Pradesh Governor on reports of incursions by China into Indian territory pic.twitter.com/mfiQ7osfrE — ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2018 ×

Indian troops capable enough to restrict China's entry: Arunachal Pradesh Governor

China tried to make multiple intrusion attempts in Ladakh in March, said a report submitted to the Home Ministry by Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP).

According to the ITBP report, China intruded into India on February 28, March 3 and March 7, 12, 2018, through trains near the northern Pangong lake.

The report further states that March also recorded a maximum number of intrusion by Chinese forces into the Ladakh region.

Chinese army intruded into three places near Pangong lake area during which the Chinese soldiers entered within 6 kilometers inside Indian territory.

However, the Chinese forces returned to their side after ITBP protested.

According to reports, China also infiltrated into Ladakh's Northern sub-sector on February 28, March 3 and 7 wherein they entered 7 kilometers inside the Indian territory. China retreated after meeting with retaliation from the Indian side.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Chinese military had also claimed in border personnel meeting in March that they had protested against the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-objects-to-indias-transgression-in-arunachal-pradesh-india-rejects-the-protest-129126"> Indian army's 'transgression'</a> into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh.

The India side had rejected these claims saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it was&nbsp;regularly carrying out patrols.

Chinese incursion around Pangong lake which extends from India to China is quite common as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) passes through the lake in the Aksai Chin territory.

&nbsp;

According to the report that ITBP has submitted to the Home Ministry, China intruded on February 28, March 3 and March 7, 12, 2018, through trains near the northern Pangong lake

China tried to make multiple intrusion attempts in Ladakh in March, said a report submitted to the Home Ministry by Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP). According to the ITBP report, China intruded into India on February 28, March 3 and March 7, 12, 2018, through trains near the northern Pangong lake. The report further states that March also recorded a maximum number of intrusion by Chinese forces into the Ladakh region. Chinese army intruded into three places near Pangong lake area during which the Chinese soldiers entered within 6 kilometers inside Indian territory. However, the Chinese forces returned to their side after ITBP protested. According to reports, China also infiltrated into Ladakh's Northern sub-sector on February 28, March 3 and 7 wherein they entered 7 kilometers inside the Indian territory. China retreated after meeting with retaliation from the Indian side. Meanwhile, the Chinese military had also claimed in border personnel meeting in March that they had protested against the Indian army's 'transgression' into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh. The India side had rejected these claims saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it was regularly carrying out patrols. Chinese incursion around Pangong lake which extends from India to China is quite common as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) passes through the lake in the Aksai Chin territory.

Maximum Chinese intrusion in Ladakh occurred in March: Report

<div segoe="" style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33) font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, " ui="">The Line of Actual Control (LAC), a porous border separating India and China, continues to remain a cause of anxiety for New Delhi. And the reason for that is differing perceptions of the LAC in both the nations. While India, as always, wants to maintain the status quo along the border, China stakes claim to some of the territories in Arunachal Pradesh on the Indian side. 
&nbsp; 
These differences in perceptions have sharpened in the last few years due to infrastructure build-up by both India and China along the LAC. But the contrast is chilling. 
&nbsp; 
China has developed both civilian and military infrastructure along the LAC, and massively. But the Indian side - though it has created a new Corp of the Indian Army for the Eastern Front - still lacks basic infrastructure like telephone connectivity, roads or railways. The deployment of troops on the LAC from Indian side is dense but infrastructure remains absent. Many civilian areas are in fact unconnected. 
&nbsp; 
China has a railway station just 35km from the LAC. The nearest railway station on the Indian side is 200km away. A proposed railway station may bring down the distance to 150km but it still takes an Indian soldier deployed on the LAC more than 80 hours to reach the nearest railway station. 
&nbsp; 
Both the countries carry out long-range patrols to lay claims to the land. Any long-range patrol can take 20 to 28 days to complete. On an average, any unit on such patrol would cover 90km on foot. Rocks are marked and painted during these patrols. This constant painting and repainting have led to these rocks acquiring an inch thick of the coat. 
&nbsp; 
The stark difference between infrastructure development along the border can be attributed to the harsh weather condition on the Indian side. Many say that the weather on the Indian side is far wetter than on the Chinese side of the Himalayas. The connectivity of east and west bank of the Lohit river (a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra) is glaring. This problem has military implications. During hostilities, it can lead to troops being boxed in their own areas for long and will make an immediate rush to the spot on the other side next to impossible. 
&nbsp; 
When Indian and Chinese soldiers meet, evolved protocols kick into action, unlike the Line of Control (LoC), or the India-Pakistan border. The areas are designated and only fixed addresses are recorded on camera. Rest of the conversation takes place without it. Unlike eyeball to eyeball stand-off at LoC, the LAC witnesses non-violent stand-offs during patrols. 
&nbsp; 
India also faces another challenge. China has organised scattered communities along the LAC into single villages and built military installations adjoining them. The Indian side, on the other hand, has scattered population, which makes surveillance more difficult. 
&nbsp; 
In Kaho, the last Indian village before the LAC, any Indian phone with international roaming enabled can easily catch Chinese telecom network. This is not the case on the Indian side. The telephone towers of state-run BSNL are 40 to 50km away from the border. It makes intelligence gathering easy for the Chinese as its investment on LAC remains high tech and up to the mark.</div>

<div segoe="" style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33) font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, " ui=""><img alt="chinese-network-LAC.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="https://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/chinese-network-LAC.jpg" width="770" /> 
&nbsp; 
But the fact is that this is 2018 and not 1962. The Indian Army is well-deployed and well-stocked to meet any kind of situation. It has set up optical fibre network for its own communication in the border areas. Strong and long bridges have come on the Brahmaputra. Bhupen Hazarika bridge is one such example. It will allow tanks to ply if needed. A 1703-km-long trans-Arunachal Pradesh highway and inter-valley road is in the pipeline. Indian forces will remain more than a match for the Chinese military. According to assessment by the Indian Army, in case of hostilities, the human wave strategy deployed by the Chinese in 1962 will not be repeated. It will be more of shock and awe and missile oriented. 
&nbsp; 
There are no barbed wires on the LAC. There are bunkers and artillery deployed aimed at each other but guns have never boomed after 1962. Both sides intensely and continuously monitor each other and look for red flags. India knows that if Chinese troop movement takes place on the southern loop then it is a red flag and set of military counteraction would kick into force. The Chinese are&nbsp;monitoring the movement around Sela pass (in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh). 
&nbsp; 
The effort remains that the status quo of the border should not be breached. The LAC has been divided into disputed and sensitive areas. The disputed areas are those where both parties acknowledge the difference between position and sensitive where such divergence is not acknowledged at all. The sensitivity remains high and effort remains that local issues should not escalate to diplomatic levels. 
&nbsp; 
Doklam was one such incident when the local face-off got escalated and the matter had to be resolved diplomatically without provoking China. Politically, the matter has become even more sensitive to India after an extension of Xi Jinping's tenure. India's firm response in Doklam was to ensure that status quo is not altered. The deployment of Army on the LAC works on this principle. Even the deployment differs on the Line of Actual Control. In an 803-km-long LAC, deployments depend on the sector. Tawang sector is far more densely deployed than other areas owing to the sensitivity of the situation. 
&nbsp; 
India faces many challenges but opportunities are also immense. Arunachal Pradesh is one area in the Northeast, which is very nationalistic. Hindi unites people in the state. The response to LAC today cannot be a limited to military deployment. It requires a political action and vision. In Doklam it was proved that India will not allow status quo to change. It needs to show the same wisdom and vision inside its own border so that, these areas can be better integrated with the rest of India.</div>

The Line of Actual Control (LAC), a porous border separating India and China, continues to remain a cause of anxiety for New Delhi

The Line of Actual Control (LAC), a porous border separating India and China, continues to remain a cause of anxiety for New Delhi. And the reason for that is differing perceptions of the LAC in both the nations. While India, as always, wants to maintain the status quo along the border, China stakes claim to some of the territories in Arunachal Pradesh on the Indian side. These differences in perceptions have sharpened in the last few years due to infrastructure build-up by both India and China along the LAC. But the contrast is chilling. China has developed both civilian and military infrastructure along the LAC, and massively. But the Indian side - though it has created a new Corp of the Indian Army for the Eastern Front - still lacks basic infrastructure like telephone connectivity, roads or railways. The deployment of troops on the LAC from Indian side is dense but infrastructure remains absent. Many civilian areas are in fact unconnected. China has a railway station just 35km from the LAC. The nearest railway station on the Indian side is 200km away. A proposed railway station may bring down the distance to 150km but it still takes an Indian soldier deployed on the LAC more than 80 hours to reach the nearest railway station. Both the countries carry out long-range patrols to lay claims to the land. Any long-range patrol can take 20 to 28 days to complete. On an average, any unit on such patrol would cover 90km on foot. Rocks are marked and painted during these patrols. This constant painting and repainting have led to these rocks acquiring an inch thick of the coat. The stark difference between infrastructure development along the border can be attributed to the harsh weather condition on the Indian side. Many say that the weather on the Indian side is far wetter than on the Chinese side of the Himalayas. The connectivity of east and west bank of the Lohit river (a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra) is glaring. This problem has military implications. During hostilities, it can lead to troops being boxed in their own areas for long and will make an immediate rush to the spot on the other side next to impossible. When Indian and Chinese soldiers meet, evolved protocols kick into action, unlike the Line of Control (LoC), or the India-Pakistan border. The areas are designated and only fixed addresses are recorded on camera. Rest of the conversation takes place without it. Unlike eyeball to eyeball stand-off at LoC, the LAC witnesses non-violent stand-offs during patrols. India also faces another challenge. China has organised scattered communities along the LAC into single villages and built military installations adjoining them. The Indian side, on the other hand, has scattered population, which makes surveillance more difficult. In Kaho, the last Indian village before the LAC, any Indian phone with international roaming enabled can easily catch Chinese telecom network. This is not the case on the Indian side. The telephone towers of state-run BSNL are 40 to 50km away from the border. It makes intelligence gathering easy for the Chinese as its investment on LAC remains high tech and up to the mark. But the fact is that this is 2018 and not 1962. The Indian Army is well-deployed and well-stocked to meet any kind of situation. It has set up optical fibre network for its own communication in the border areas. Strong and long bridges have come on the Brahmaputra. Bhupen Hazarika bridge is one such example. It will allow tanks to ply if needed. A 1703-km-long trans-Arunachal Pradesh highway and inter-valley road is in the pipeline. Indian forces will remain more than a match for the Chinese military. According to assessment by the Indian Army, in case of hostilities, the human wave strategy deployed by the Chinese in 1962 will not be repeated. It will be more of shock and awe and missile oriented. There are no barbed wires on the LAC. There are bunkers and artillery deployed aimed at each other but guns have never boomed after 1962. Both sides intensely and continuously monitor each other and look for red flags. India knows that if Chinese troop movement takes place on the southern loop then it is a red flag and set of military counteraction would kick into force. The Chinese are monitoring the movement around Sela pass (in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh). The effort remains that the status quo of the border should not be breached. The LAC has been divided into disputed and sensitive areas. The disputed areas are those where both parties acknowledge the difference between position and sensitive where such divergence is not acknowledged at all. The sensitivity remains high and effort remains that local issues should not escalate to diplomatic levels. Doklam was one such incident when the local face-off got escalated and the matter had to be resolved diplomatically without provoking China. Politically, the matter has become even more sensitive to India after an extension of Xi Jinping's tenure. India's firm response in Doklam was to ensure that status quo is not altered. The deployment of Army on the LAC works on this principle. Even the deployment differs on the Line of Actual Control. In an 803-km-long LAC, deployments depend on the sector. Tawang sector is far more densely deployed than other areas owing to the sensitivity of the situation. India faces many challenges but opportunities are also immense. Arunachal Pradesh is one area in the Northeast, which is very nationalistic. Hindi unites people in the state. The response to LAC today cannot be a limited to military deployment. It requires a political action and vision. In Doklam it was proved that India will not allow status quo to change. It needs to show the same wisdom and vision inside its own border so that, these areas can be better integrated with the rest of India.

How India is fortifying LAC in Arunachal Pradesh to counter China's belligerence

Any change of status quo along the India-China border may lead to another Doklam-like crisis, India&#39;s envoy in Beijing has cautioned even as he asserted there was &quot;no change&quot; at the standoff site even though the PLA may be reinforcing its troops &quot;well behind the sensitive area&quot;.

Gautam Bambawale said though &quot;no change&quot; has taken place in the standoff site at Doklam after it was resolved last year, he squarely blamed China for the crisis saying it happened because Beijing tried to alter the &quot;status quo&quot; which it should not have.

The 73-day standoff ended on August 28 last year after China agreed to halt the road building activities by PLA troops at Doklam in Sikkim sector.

&quot;No, I can tell you that you in Doklam area, which we call close proximity or sometimes the face-off site, the area where there was close confrontation or close proximity between Indian and Chinese military troops, that there is no change taking place today,&quot; Bambawale said reacting to reports of the Chinese military stepping up infrastructure build-up in the area.

&quot;Maybe behind, the Chinese may be putting more military barracks to put in more soldiers, but that is well behind the sensitive area,&quot; he said in a wide-ranging interview to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

&quot;Those are the things you&#39;re free to do and we are also free to do, because you&#39;re doing it inside your territory and we are doing it inside our territory,&quot; he said.

Indian troops intervened to stop Chinese soldiers from building a road close to India&#39;s narrow &#39;Chicken&#39;s Neck&#39; corridor that connects the northeastern states. Besides China, the area is also claimed by Bhutan.

Recent reports said the Chinese military is trying to work around or outflank Indian troops in the Doklam area.

Bambawale defended India&#39;s decision to stop Chinese troops from building the road saying no attempt should be made to change the status quo.

&quot;If anyone changes the status quo, it will lead to a situation like what happened in Doklam. I can tell you very frankly and you can quote me on this. The Chinese military changed the status quo in the

Doklam area and therefore India reacted to it. Ours was a reaction to the change in the status quo by the Chinese military,&quot; he said, adding that China should inform India about such initiatives in sensitive areas.

He called for delineation of the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) which China has refused earlier.

&quot;The India-China boundary is un-demarcated and un-delineated, so we have to talk to each other to delineate and demarcate it, which means to draw the boundary line. Now in the meantime, while we are discussing where the boundary will lie, both China and India have agreed that we should maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas,&quot; he said.

He said at present both countries are having &quot;a lot of dialogue&quot; especially at the political level, and also at the economic level, as he welcomed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi&#39;s recent comments that the Indian elephant and the Chinese dragon must not fight but dance together.

He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) in June during which there will &quot;definitely&quot; be a bilateral meeting between him and President Xi Jinping.

The summit is due to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao from June 9-10.

&quot;During that, we will definitely have bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping. And before that happens we want to have a lot of other meetings,&quot; Bambawale said.

&quot;We will have a whole series of meetings in the next few weeks and months,&quot; he said adding that the boundary officials of both the countries will also meet.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said she will visit China next month. The foreign ministers of the SCO countries are also due to meet before the summit.

About the forays being made by China into India&#39;s neighbourhood, he said New Delhi is not worried about it as it has strong relationships with its neighbours.

He also said South Asian countries are free to have relationships with any country including China.

&quot;Let me tell you very clearly that India has its own relationships with all these countries. These are very strong relationships and India is also doing a lot of projects in all these countries, such as the Maldives, Nepal or Sri Lanka,&quot; he said.

He also spoke of India&#39;s strong reservations about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is part of China&#39;s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and called for candid talks to resolve the differences.

&quot;When we talk about development projects or connectivity projects, they must be transparent, fair and equal. There are certain internationally accepted norms for such projects,&quot; he said in apparent reference to criticism that the BRI projects lacks transparency.

&quot;If a project meets those norms, we will be happy to take part in it. One of the norms is the project should not violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country. Unfortunately, there is this thing called CPEC, which is called a flagship project of BRI, which violates India&#39;s sovereignty and territory integrity. Therefore, we oppose it,&quot; he said.

The USD 50 billion CPEC traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Gautam Bambawale said though 'no change' has taken place in the standoff site at Doklam after it was resolved last year

Any change of status quo along the India-China border may lead to another Doklam-like crisis, India's envoy in Beijing has cautioned even as he asserted there was "no change" at the standoff site even though the PLA may be reinforcing its troops "well behind the sensitive area". Gautam Bambawale said though "no change" has taken place in the standoff site at Doklam after it was resolved last year, he squarely blamed China for the crisis saying it happened because Beijing tried to alter the "status quo" which it should not have. The 73-day standoff ended on August 28 last year after China agreed to halt the road building activities by PLA troops at Doklam in Sikkim sector. "No, I can tell you that you in Doklam area, which we call close proximity or sometimes the face-off site, the area where there was close confrontation or close proximity between Indian and Chinese military troops, that there is no change taking place today," Bambawale said reacting to reports of the Chinese military stepping up infrastructure build-up in the area. "Maybe behind, the Chinese may be putting more military barracks to put in more soldiers, but that is well behind the sensitive area," he said in a wide-ranging interview to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. "Those are the things you're free to do and we are also free to do, because you're doing it inside your territory and we are doing it inside our territory," he said. Indian troops intervened to stop Chinese soldiers from building a road close to India's narrow 'Chicken's Neck' corridor that connects the northeastern states. Besides China, the area is also claimed by Bhutan. Recent reports said the Chinese military is trying to work around or outflank Indian troops in the Doklam area. Bambawale defended India's decision to stop Chinese troops from building the road saying no attempt should be made to change the status quo. "If anyone changes the status quo, it will lead to a situation like what happened in Doklam. I can tell you very frankly and you can quote me on this. The Chinese military changed the status quo in the Doklam area and therefore India reacted to it. Ours was a reaction to the change in the status quo by the Chinese military," he said, adding that China should inform India about such initiatives in sensitive areas. He called for delineation of the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) which China has refused earlier. "The India-China boundary is un-demarcated and un-delineated, so we have to talk to each other to delineate and demarcate it, which means to draw the boundary line. Now in the meantime, while we are discussing where the boundary will lie, both China and India have agreed that we should maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," he said. He said at present both countries are having "a lot of dialogue" especially at the political level, and also at the economic level, as he welcomed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent comments that the Indian elephant and the Chinese dragon must not fight but dance together. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) in June during which there will "definitely" be a bilateral meeting between him and President Xi Jinping. The summit is due to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao from June 9-10. "During that, we will definitely have bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping. And before that happens we want to have a lot of other meetings," Bambawale said. "We will have a whole series of meetings in the next few weeks and months," he said adding that the boundary officials of both the countries will also meet. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said she will visit China next month. The foreign ministers of the SCO countries are also due to meet before the summit. About the forays being made by China into India's neighbourhood, he said New Delhi is not worried about it as it has strong relationships with its neighbours. He also said South Asian countries are free to have relationships with any country including China. "Let me tell you very clearly that India has its own relationships with all these countries. These are very strong relationships and India is also doing a lot of projects in all these countries, such as the Maldives, Nepal or Sri Lanka," he said. He also spoke of India's strong reservations about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is part of China's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and called for candid talks to resolve the differences. "When we talk about development projects or connectivity projects, they must be transparent, fair and equal. There are certain internationally accepted norms for such projects," he said in apparent reference to criticism that the BRI projects lacks transparency. "If a project meets those norms, we will be happy to take part in it. One of the norms is the project should not violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country. Unfortunately, there is this thing called CPEC, which is called a flagship project of BRI, which violates India's sovereignty and territory integrity. Therefore, we oppose it," he said. The USD 50 billion CPEC traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Don't change status quo on border to avert another Doklam: India's envoy

China is upgrading air defence of its Western Theatre Command, which looks after the security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to &ldquo;confront any threat from India&rdquo;, an official media report quoted a military expert as saying.

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According to Global Times, the photographs show a J-10 and J-11 fighter jets conducting aerial combat training exercises on February 13, two days before Spring Festival and it cited Chinese military expert and TV commentator Song Zhongping as saying it was significant for China to strengthen control of airspace over the mountainous region.

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&quot;Strengthening the 3.5-generation fighter jets or even stationing more advanced fighters in the Western Theatre Command has been urgent for the PLA,&quot; Song said, adding that such upgrades have been usually first conducted in south and east theatre commands.

The Jets are attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theatre Command, the website of the People&rsquo;s Liberation Army (PLA) said.

The Western Theatre Command is mainly responsible for mountain warfare at the border area with India.&nbsp;

The LAC stretches to 3,488-km including the high altitude Tibetan plateau.

India and China have been trying to reset their ties after last year&rsquo;s 73-day standoff between the two sides at Dokalam in Sikkim section of the boundary.

Considering that India possesses 3rd-generation fighter jets, China&rsquo;s stationing of its 3.5-generation jets would be able to deal with any current threat from India, Song Zhongping said.

Since he took over power in 2013, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been pressing the PLA to step up live firing drills to win local wars.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Agencies)

State-run media quoted a military expert as saying on Tuesday that the upgrade was being done to “confront any threat from India”.

China is upgrading air defence of its Western Theatre Command, which looks after the security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to “confront any threat from India”, an official media report quoted a military expert as saying. Also read: India easier to do business in than China — Donald Trump Jr According to Global Times, the photographs show a J-10 and J-11 fighter jets conducting aerial combat training exercises on February 13, two days before Spring Festival and it cited Chinese military expert and TV commentator Song Zhongping as saying it was significant for China to strengthen control of airspace over the mountainous region. Also read: India has nothing to worry about China-Bangladesh ties, says Sheikh Hasina "Strengthening the 3.5-generation fighter jets or even stationing more advanced fighters in the Western Theatre Command has been urgent for the PLA," Song said, adding that such upgrades have been usually first conducted in south and east theatre commands. The Jets are attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theatre Command, the website of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said. The Western Theatre Command is mainly responsible for mountain warfare at the border area with India. The LAC stretches to 3,488-km including the high altitude Tibetan plateau. India and China have been trying to reset their ties after last year’s 73-day standoff between the two sides at Dokalam in Sikkim section of the boundary. Considering that India possesses 3rd-generation fighter jets, China’s stationing of its 3.5-generation jets would be able to deal with any current threat from India, Song Zhongping said. Since he took over power in 2013, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been pressing the PLA to step up live firing drills to win local wars. (With inputs from Agencies)

China upgrading air defence in Tibet to counter 'India threat', says state media

The number of transgressions by the Chinese Army into the Indian territory rose to 426 in 2017 from the 273 in 2016, the government said Monday.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said the transgressions have occurred due to the differing perception of the two counties of the Line of Actual Control.

&quot;In the year 2017, the number of transgressions was 426 as against 273 in the year 2016,&quot; he said.

The minister said the government takes up incidents of transgressions with the Chinese side through an established mechanism.

India and China share a nearly 4,000 km-long border.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam since June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off had ended on August 28.

In December, a Chinese road construction team had come nearly one kilometre into the Indian territory in Upper Siangin, Arunachal Pradesh, but went back after they were told to do so by the Indian security personnel.

Army Chief Bipin Rawat had said last month that the time has come for the country to shift focus from the western frontier to the northern one.

To a separate question, Mr Bhamre said China&#39;s defence budget is larger than the defence budget of India.

He said the budgetary allocations for defence depend on the size of the economy.

Referring to the situation on the northern border, he said the Indian Army is fully seized of the military needs of the country.

India and China share a nearly 4,000 km-long border

The number of transgressions by the Chinese Army into the Indian territory rose to 426 in 2017 from the 273 in 2016, the government said Monday. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said the transgressions have occurred due to the differing perception of the two counties of the Line of Actual Control. "In the year 2017, the number of transgressions was 426 as against 273 in the year 2016," he said. The minister said the government takes up incidents of transgressions with the Chinese side through an established mechanism. India and China share a nearly 4,000 km-long border. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam since June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off had ended on August 28. In December, a Chinese road construction team had come nearly one kilometre into the Indian territory in Upper Siangin, Arunachal Pradesh, but went back after they were told to do so by the Indian security personnel. Army Chief Bipin Rawat had said last month that the time has come for the country to shift focus from the western frontier to the northern one. To a separate question, Mr Bhamre said China's defence budget is larger than the defence budget of India. He said the budgetary allocations for defence depend on the size of the economy. Referring to the situation on the northern border, he said the Indian Army is fully seized of the military needs of the country.

Chinese incursions into India rose in 2017: Government study