Focus: GS-II International Relations
Why in news?
In an escalation of the ongoing standoff on the border in Ladakh, Chinese troops carried out aggressive moves to change the status quo on the South Bank of Pangong Tso and those attempts have been thwarted said the Indian Army.
Details
- 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.
- Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of the Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground.
- A Brigade Commander-level flag meeting was in progress at Chushul to resolve the issues.
- There is already massive buildup of troops in the area by both the sides.
Background
- The standoff in Ladakh has been ongoing since early May and several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have failed to end the impasse.
- China has undertaken massive mobilisation along the LAC, and PLA troops have built structures inside Indian territory at several locations.
- The first phase of disengagement undertaken in early July remains incomplete with disengagement completed at Galwan valley and Patrolling Point (PP) 15 in Gogra-Hot springs area.
- Chinese troops have only moved back from the base of Finger 4, the mountain spur, to Finger 5 but remain to occupy the ridgelines of Finger 4 where India’s claim extends till Finger 8, while it has always held till Finger 4.
China controls 1,000 sq. km of area in Ladakh
- About 1,000 square kilometres of area in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is now under Chinese control, intelligence inputs provided to the Centre suggest.
- From Depsang Plains to Chushul there had been a systematic mobilisation by the Chinese troops along the undefined LAC.
- Chinese forces are occupying a considerable area from Finger 4 to 8 near Pangong Tso (lake).
- The distance between Finger 4-8, the mountainous spurs abutting the lake, is about eight km.
- The stretch was patrolled both by India and China till May and India considers it to form part of its perception of the LAC.
-Source: The Hindu
