China has been systematically mobilising its troops from Depsang Plains to Chushul along the undefined Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian daily The Hindu reported, citing intelligence sources on Tuesday.
According to intelligence inputs given to the federal government, Chinese control in eastern Ladakh according to India’s perception of the LAC stood at about 1,000 sq.km, the daily report further reads.
The standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies has been persisting for months despite several rounds of talks between military commanders and at diplomatic levels.
In the latest incident, troops of China’s People’s Liberation Army attempted to transgress territory, which New Delhi perceived as under its control.
“....PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo,” the Indian Defence Ministry stated on 31 August.
While a Brigade Commander-level Flag Meeting was convened on Tuesday, India made it clear it was “committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity through dialogue, but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity”.
India and China have unresolved border disputes over Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast and in Ladakh. Both neighbours have been engaged in dialogues to resolve the issue. But so far there has been no success.
The India-China border includes the 3,488 km LAC, which is mainly a land border in most regions. But in the Pangong Lake area in eastern Ladakh, it passes through a lake.
India controls the western portion of the 45-km long lake, while the rest (about 119-km) is under Chinese control. Most of the clashes between the two countries have taken place in the Galvan Valley.
