Why in news?
- The Prime Minister on 26TH May 2020 reviewed the current situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the ongoing standoff with China with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Bipin Rawat and the three Service Chiefs.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping during his annual meeting with the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) on May 26, called on the military “to think about worst-case scenarios” and “scale up battle preparedness”.
Background to the tense situation
- The Border tensions between India and China have flared up once again with at least two incidents of violent clashes and stone-pelting taking place between rival troops in Ladakh and Sikkim.
- Several rounds of talks on the ground up to the level of Division Commanders have failed to break the impasse.
- Thus far, the MEA has issued only one statement on the tensions at LAC, in which it said Chinese troops were “hindering India’s normal patrolling patterns”, and denied Chinese accusations.
- MEA officials have also said “established mechanisms” are in place to resolve the issue, indicating their relative silence on the issue is to enable talks between military commanders and diplomatic channels to proceed.
- Chinese MFA had accused Indian troops of “crossing the line” across Ladakh and Sikkim, of “infringement activities” and of “attempting to unilaterally change the status of border control.”
- The Chinese Embassy also denied reports that flights arranged to repatriate citizens were connected to the ongoing tensions at the LAC in any way.
Details
- The Indian meeting was to review the implementation of the recommendations of the Shekatkar Committee but the Ladakh standoff was discussed.
- The Chinese President’s speech focused on the post-pandemic situation, as he heard the PLA members of Parliament reporting on “strengthening training amid the epidemic, and accelerating capacity building on biosecurity defence”.
- Mr. Xi’s remarks will be closely parsed in India, amid the on-going border stand-off, and also in Taiwan, with heightened tensions.
Click Here to read more about the LAC, Pangong Tso and India – China Standoff
-Source: The Hindu
