(TibetanReview.net, Jan14’21) – China has released a video of its troops undergoing training at Depsang Plains along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India’s Ladakh region in an apparent show of seriousness of its intentions as the border situation continues to remain tense for the eighth month.
“Satellite imagery of the areas where this activity has been recorded puts the units roughly 36 km east of DBO airstrip,” the eurasiantimes.com Jan 13 quoted open-source intelligence Twitter handle @detresfa_ as saying. The Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip of the Indian Air Force in Ladakh is the world’s highest airstrip.
Depsang Plains has been a major friction point between the two countries since the border faceoff took an ominous turn in May 2020.
Even earlier, Indian and Chinese troops had locked horns at Depsang Plains in 2013 and 2015 as well, the report noted.
The report suggested that the latest military training activities clearly indicated that China was not looking at disengagement as an immediate option despite indications that China had withdrawn 10,000 troops from its disputed border with India.
Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has, however, refuted claims about the reduction of troops having taken place on either side as far as the friction points were concerned.
He has said there has been no change in the status quo.
He has also said Chinese PLA troops come to traditional training areas every year and leave the place after the training gets over.
