NEW DELHI: India will not allow China to shift the actual line of control westward in eastern Ladakh, and while prospects for a full-scale war are low, border tensions and intrusions that become a larger conflict, Chief of Staff Bipin Rawat said on Friday.
“Our stance is unequivocal: the status quo must be restored,” General Rawat said, even as India and China held the eighth round of military talks to defuse the tense, nearly seven-month-long military confrontation in the high-altitude region on Friday.
“In the general security calculation, a large-scale conflict with China is unlikely. However, border confrontations, transgressions and unprovoked tactical military actions that lead to a major conflict cannot be ruled out, ”said Gen Rawat, in a webinar here.
The country’s top military official also stressed that India will not allow “any change” of LAC by China, which said it now faces “unforeseen consequences of its misadventure” due to the firm and strong response from Indian forces in eastern China. Ladakh.
IAF Chief Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria also emphasized that India’s “proactive actions and firm stance” were instrumental in dissuading China from making “more attempts to alter the status quo” in Ladakh. The rapid deployment of the IAF’s “offensive capabilities” reflected the nation’s determination to use air power should the need arise, he added.
There was no official news about the outcome of the Body commander-level talks, led by 14th Corps commander, Lt. Gen. South Xinjiang The head of the military district, Major General Liu Lin, who lasted nearly 10 hours at the Chushul border meeting point in eastern Ladakh on Friday.
The sources, however, said that India stood firm in its position of “complete de-escalation” at the troop engagement sites, as well as along the entire border in eastern Ladakh, rejecting “partial withdrawal steps. and unilateral “proposed by China.
With no signs of de-escalation yet, more than 50,000 soldiers from the two armies, backed by howitzers, tanks and surface-to-air missile systems, have long-term heights over 15,000 feet.
“With temperatures already dropping to minus 20 degrees Celsius in some places, both sides have built shelters and other makeshift infrastructure. They are both also rotating troops, ”said one officer.
The Army’s proactive military maneuver to occupy various tactical heights on the south bank of the Pangong Tso-Kailash range area in the Chushul sector from August 29 to 30, after being taken by surprise by multiple PLA intrusions in LAC in May, it has provided India with some leverage in the diplomatic and military talks currently underway.
“China thought it would get away with presenting India a fait accompli in the ‘Finger’ area on the north shore of Pangong Tso. The PLA was unprepared for India’s strong counterdeployment and counterattack, forcing it to keep a large number of troops there during the harsh winter, “said an officer.
At the webinar, Gen Rawat said that India had no choice but to be prepared for a two-front scenario because China and Pakistan are “increasingly acting in collusion.”
The economic slowdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic has made China “repressive at home” and “aggressive abroad”, as is evident from its stance on the South China Sea, East China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
“For India, the challenges have manifested with military outbreaks throughout LAC. In the coming years, we are likely to witness China’s aggressive pursuit of hegemonic interests, ”he said.
“The persistent border dispute, China’s support for Pakistan, its growing influence in South Asia through BRI projects, and the lopsided economic relationship will likely ensure that in the near future, the relationship between China and India will remain fundamentally competitive. “he added.
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