India's move to add more troops at its disputed
border with China is not conducive to easing tensions, Reuters quoted a spokesperson for
the Chinese foreign ministry as saying on Friday at a news briefing. India has redirected thousands of soldiers
to enhance its contested border with China, introducing a potential source of tension
to its already strained relations with Beijing. A Senior Indian official, requesting anonymity
due to the confidentiality of the discussions, revealed that a unit of
10,000 soldiers previously
deployed to the western border is now assigned to safeguard a segment of the frontier with
China, According to a Bloomberg report said. An existing group of 9,000 Indian soldiers,
initially designated for the disputed Chinese border, will now fall under the newly established
fighting command. This unified force will protect a 532 km (330.57
miles) border section dividing China's Tibet region from India's northern states of Uttarakhand
and Himachal Pradesh. Souring Tie
s Beginning on May 5, 2020, Chinese
and Indian troops were involved in aggressive confrontations, face-offs, and skirmishes
at various locations along the Sino-Indian border. These incidents occurred near the disputed
Pangong Lake in Ladakh, the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the border between Sikkim and
the Tibet Autonomous Region. Additional clashes took place in eastern Ladakh
along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In May 2020, tensions escalated when Chinese
forces raised objections to India
n road construction in the Galwan River valley. On September 7, 2020, shots were fired along
the LAC for the first time in 45 years, with both parties attributing blame to the other. Indian media also reported that Indian troops
had fired warning shots at the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on August 30, 2020. Ties between India and China deteriorated
following the confrontation, and there has been limited improvement since. Despite engaging in as many as 21 rounds of
military-diplomatic talks, p
rogress has been incremental. In response to the strained relations, India
has enacted laws aimed at discouraging Chinese investments and business enterprises within
the country. In 2021, India deployed an extra 50,000 soldiers
to monitor its border with China, responding to heightened tensions following a deadly
clash the previous year that resulted in the unfortunate loss of at least 20 Indian soldiers,
significantly straining diplomatic relations. Subsequently, both China and India have taken
steps to enhance military-related infrastructure, relocating missiles and aircraft to their
respective border regions, alongside the additional deployment of troops. There were lots of Military and Diplomatic
meetings between India and China in the past 5 years nothing has changed in the status
quo. So what do you think? Sending more Indian troops to the Chinese
border is an escalation or its fowl cry?
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