More Indian troops at Himalayan border won’t ease tensions: China

BEIJING: China believes that India’s move to add more troops at their disputed border is “not conducive to easing tensions”, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

India has freed up a contingent of 10,000 soldiers, previously deployed at its western border, to strengthen its disputed border with China, according to several media reports.

The two countries have previously agreed to maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels, and recently held a constructive meeting on resolving border issues in the western section of the China-India border.

India has deployed 10,000 soldiers from its western border to guard its 532-km border with China in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, bordering the Himalayas, according to Indian media.

“China is committed to working with India to safeguard the peace and stability of the border areas,” Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said. “We believe that India’s practice is not conducive to safeguarding peace and is not conducive to easing tensions.”

Mao added that “India’s increase in military deployments in border areas does not help to calm the situation in the border areas or to safeguard peace and safety in these areas.”

India and China share a 3,800-km frontier, much of it poorly demarcated. At least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed in clashes in the area in mid-2020.

Both militaries have fortified positions and deployed troops and equipment there in the last few years.

In 2021, India repositioned an additional 50,000 soldiers to patrol its border with China, after a deadly border clash the year before left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead, seriously straining ties.

China and India have since upgraded military-related infrastructure and moved missiles and aircraft to either side of their border, in addition to positioning more troops.

“The possibility that we may face a similar situation that we faced in 2020 is keeping us active all the time,” said India’s Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, at a business event last month, referring to the border clash between the nuclear armed neighbours.