China’s PLA troops carry out ‘provocative military movements’ near Pangong Tso to change status quo, says army

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The Chinese army carried out provocative military movements in Ladakh to change status quo, the Indian Army has said.

The incident took place near the Pangong Tso lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30, the army said. The two sides are already engaged in a standoff in the area which witnessed skirmishes between the two sides on June 15.

“Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” said Colonel Aman Anand, PRO, Indian Army.

“The Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity. A Brigade Commander-level flag meeting is in progress at Chushul to resolve the issues,” he added.

Most importantly, the Chinese army carried out the violation in the southern bank of the lake; so far, the standoff has been reported along the northern bank.

Last week, India had said that a complete disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh can be achieved only through mutually agreed reciprocal actions and also highlighted resolution of border incidents with China in the past through diplomacy.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that complete disengagement requires re-deployment of troops by each side towards their regular posts on their respective sides of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and this can be done only through mutually agreed actions.

China, meanwhile, said India should look at the “big picture” of bilateral ties and work with it and take concrete steps to bring the relationship back on the “right track of normal development.” Beijing also said New Delhi should put the border issue in an appropriate position in this “big picture” and “avoid misjudgement”.

On July 5, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a nearly two-hour-long telephonic conversation on ways to resolve the row.

The formal process of disengagement of troops began a day after Doval-Wang talks. Both Doval and Wang are special representatives for boundary talks.