India Ready to 'Meet Any Eventuality' as China Boosts Troops Along Disputed Border, Army Chief Says

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane is on a two-day visit to Ladakh to review the security situation and operational preparedness of forces amid an ongoing border dispute with China.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane, India's Army chief, has said that China has built substantial infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, but stressed that New Delhi is ready for any eventuality.

"Definitely, there has been an increase in their deployment in the forward areas, which remains a matter of concern for us", the Indian Army chief told reporters in Ladakh.

An Indian army soldier keeps guard on top of his vehicle as their convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, northeast of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020

© AP Photo / Mukhtar Khan

India and China have been stationing troops in forward areas of the LAC since June last year, with their renewed dispute escalating into the first violent clash between the two armies since the 1970s.

"New Delhi is monitoring all the Chinese developments and, based on inputs, was carrying out matching developments in terms of infrastructure. We have also inducted advanced weaponry. So at the moment, we are quite well poised to meet any eventuality", Indian media quoted Naravane as saying.

On 29 September, China accused India of pursuing a "forward policy" and said that the "Indian Army illegally crossed the LAC to encroach on Chinese territory, violating the bilateral agreements of 1993, 1996, and 2013 that have been central to maintaining peace and tranquillity on the loosely demarcated border. New Delhi said the accusations were unfounded.

According to a media report, the two nuclear powers are likely to hold a 13th round of Corps Commander-level talks next week aimed at resolving the standoff in eastern Ladakh.

So far, there have been 12 rounds of military commander-level talks between June 2020 and August 2021, with the disengagement of troops and equipment having been completed both north and south of Pangong Tso and the Gogra Heights. However, talks are yet to be held on Hot Springs, Demchok, and Depsang Plains.

In recent weeks, the two sides have started deploying military assets along the LAC.