The chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, said on Saturday that India was ready to match China’s aggression in the eastern theater of Ladakh, where the two countries have been locked in a row. border since May 2020.
“If they (China) can become aggressive, we will also be aggressive. We have full preparations (to deal with any eventuality), ”the IAF chief said during a media interaction in Jodhpur, where India and France are conducting joint air force drills.
Bhadauria’s comments came on the eve of the ninth round of military talks with China to ease border tensions in Ladakh. Talks at the corps commander-level between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will take place in Moldo on the Chinese side of the Royal Line of Control (LAC) on Sunday, familiar officials said. with the development.
Last month, the IAF chief said possible reasons for Chinese actions could include a planned escalation and an attempt to establish border claim lines and initiate border talks on the new positions, military signage, domination efforts with control of climbing and deploying and training your Westerners. Theater forces in real-life theaters of war where the Galwan Valley incident was an overreach.
The Indian and Chinese top brass met for the last time on November 6. The situation in the Ladakh sector remains tense and the ongoing military dialogue has not led to any progress. “The talks may not yield a positive result in the short term, but the dialogue must continue,” said one of the officials cited above.
Experts don’t expect much from the military talks either.
It is good that talks continue and communication between the two sides is maintained, said former Northern Army commander Lt. Gen. DS Hooda (retired).
“However, a breakthrough is unlikely, as there does not appear to be any common ground on the basis of which agreement can be reached. This common ground must be established in compromises at the political or diplomatic level. Since this has not happened, we shouldn’t expect much from the military talks, ”Hooda said.
On 12 January, Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said that the Indian Army was prepared to stand firm in eastern Ladakh “for as long as it takes” to achieve national objectives in the event of prolonged warfare. ongoing military and diplomatic talks with China.
During the eighth round of talks on Nov. 6, the Indian Army and the PLA said they will ensure that their front-line soldiers “exercise restraint and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations” throughout LAC.
Both India and China are poised for a long road in the Ladakh sector and firm to maintain advanced positions throughout LAC during the harsh winter months.
The PLA has withdrawn at least 10,000 soldiers from areas deep in the Ladakh theater to rear positions, but its front-line deployments remain unchanged, as the Hindustan Times previously reported.
Earlier, Naravane said that India should not read too much about the withdrawal of Chinese troops from the deep areas on the Tibetan plateau, as there has been absolutely no troop reduction by either side at the friction points in the Tibetan sector. Ladakh where the border confrontation between the two nuclear powers is in its ninth month.
He said India hoped to reach an agreement with China based on the principles of “mutual and equal security” that would result in the withdrawal of border troops from friction points and the subsequent de-escalation of the conflict in the Ladakh theater.
India has consistently pushed for comprehensive disengagement at all hotspots and restoration of the status quo before early April during ongoing military talks, while the Chinese side wants the Indian military to first withdraw troops deployed at strategic heights in the southern shore of Pangong Tso.
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