WASHINGTON: China’s attempted transgression near the southern shore of Lake Pangong, which was thwarted by the Indian military, was a deliberate move to provoke India, according to a US intelligence assessment.
Beijing is enraged at its local commander withdrawing forces when a physical conflict seemed imminent, the assessment report added.
Washington said Indian troops have avoided any loss of land, according to a source familiar with the assessment who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Pangong Tso region located high in the Himalayas is considered to be within the territorial control of India, according to US News and World Report.
Full coverage: showdown between India and China
The United States believes that Indian forces were better prepared to deal with Chinese provocation following the violent clash in June in the Galwan valley in which 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese troops had lost their lives.
The assessment did not conclude whether Chinese forces were the first to act provocatively in this case. However, the United States has chosen to side with India because of China’s provocative behavior in the past.
US intelligence officials and local analysts have questioned the timing of the latest standoff, even as China seeks to project that it wants to ease tensions.
“We are astonished at the timing of the Chinese actions, but we should also not complain if Beijing shoots itself in the foot,” according to the intelligence assessment.
Indian officials are scheduled to meet their counterparts from virtually the United States, Australia and Japan later this month for a summit, which according to Indian sources will likely result in a new intelligence sharing agreement between the countries.
“The outcome of the 2 + 2 Ministerial Dialogue and its Basic Agreement for Exchange and Cooperation will not only equip the Indian armed forces with the vital intelligence they need to better understand Chinese military positions and movements, but will serve as an important step in the formalized a partnership with New Delhi that Washington would like to see further strengthened at China’s expense, “according to US News and World Report.
The US Department of Defense said China has prioritized military spending over the past decade to focus on expanding its capabilities to operate in disputed regions along its border, including India and Bhutan, to disputed waterways. in the East and South Seas of China.
“China’s leaders use non-conflict tactics to pursue China’s objectives. China calibrates its coercive activities to fall below the threshold of provoking an armed conflict with the US, its allies and partners, or others in the world. the Indo-Pacific region, “according to the latest version of the Pentagon’s annual China Military Report, released Tuesday.
The US intelligence assessment indicated that Chinese troops this time were building camps in a disputed space, a tactic adopted by both sides to gain a foothold that can then be expanded into infrastructure to support broader operations. .
Chinese President Xi Jinping would have known in advance the latest clashes due to the nature of the Chinese military’s decision-making. Xi may have created a “cycle of provocations” and does not know how to take out the Chinese military without appearing weak, according to US intelligence officials.
Analysts at the time believed that Chinese troops did not anticipate the mood of the Indian people after the confrontation in the Galwan Valley. Subsequently, the Indian government took action, including a ban on various Chinese mobile apps.
Talks have been held between the two parties, but the outcome has yet to be released. Recently, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on a visit to five countries in Europe to ease tensions, in particular growing skepticism about using China’s leading telecoms company Huawei to help build 5G networks. .
“The timing is puzzling given the upcoming talks between the United States and India and what appeared to be some recent, if not particularly successful, efforts to reduce tensions along the border,” said Sheena Greitens, associate professor at the School of LBJ Public from the University of Texas at Austin. Affairs, was quoted by US News and World Report.
“One effect of the standoff has been to add a sense of urgency to efforts to strengthen ties between the United States and India, especially in terms of defense cooperation. But the developments in 2 + 2 should not be seen as a knee-jerk response to the Outbreak: There is a long-standing interest in the United States in strengthening ties with India in its own right, “Greitens said.
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