By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct 23: The Pentagon’s annual report “Military and Security Developments involving the People’s Republic of China” to Congress highlighted China’s continued military deployment and activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at the Indo-Tibet border.
The latest report confirmed that China has continued to enhance its infrastructure along the disputed LAC. This includes the construction of underground storage facilities, new roads, helipads, a bridge and airfields, and new villages in the disputed area in neighbouring Bhutan.
The 2023 annual report released on October 19 stated that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “has maintained continuous force presence and continued infrastructure build up along the LAC” after the border skirmish between the Indian army and PLA forces at Galwan Valley in June 2020. that ended with 20 Indian soldiers and four PRC soldiers dead according to official sources. “These improvements include underground storage facilities near Doklam, new roads in all three sectors of the LAC, new villages in disputed areas in neighbouring Bhutan, a second bridge over Pangong Lake, a dual-purpose airport near the center sector, and multiple helipads,” the report noted.
“In 2022, China deployed one border regiment, supported by two divisions of Xinjiang (East Turkestan) and Tibet Military Districts with four combined arms brigades (CAB) in reserve in the western sector of the LAC. China also deployed as many as three light-to-medium CABs in the eastern sector from other theater commands and an additional three CABs in the central sector of the LAC. Although some elements of a light CAB eventually withdrew, a majority of the deployed forces remain in place along the LAC,” the Pentagon report stated on China’s increased manpower deployment along the border.
India and China have been at a stand-off since May 2020 along the disputed LAC. The stand-off escalated on June 15 2020 in Galwan Valley between the Indian army and PLA forces that resulted in the death of at least 24 soldiers from both sides. In late 2022, Chinese and Indian forces engaged in an unarmed clash near Tawang along the Eastern Sector of the LAC separating Tibet and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
There have been several rounds of discussions at both military and foreign office levels between the two sides. These negotiations resulted in the withdrawal of troops from approximately four friction points, with the most recent one occurring at Gogra-hot springs last year. The 20th round of corps commander-level talks held on October 9-10 failed to yield any significant progress in resolving the two significant points, specifically at Depsang Plains and the Charding Ninglung Nallah (CNN) track junction at Demchok.
