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India to maintain winter border vigil, China conducts drill near Ladakh

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(TibetanReview.net, Jan13’25) –In an indication that the situation along the Tibet border still remains fluid despite an October troops disengagement deal with China, India’s army chief General Upendra Dwivedi has said Jan 13 that the country was not looking to reduce the number of troops along its northern frontier in winter. Also, on Jan 13, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a strategic Himalayan road tunnel that would give all-weather access to contested high-altitude border zones with Chinese ruled Tibet and Pakistan. Meanwhile, China has conducted a combat drill in a high-altitude plateau area, reinforcing its military focus on preparedness and logistics support in extreme conditions, days ahead of the Indian Army’s foundation day.

“During winter deployment, the number of troops comes down. So therefore, at least in the winter strategy, we are not looking forward to any reduction of troops,” Reuters Jan 13 quoted Dwivedi as telling reporters in New Delhi.

As regards the summer deployment, he has said the decision would depend on how negotiations with China progress.

India and China came to share a common border after the latter’s invasion and occupation of Tibet in the middle of the last century and it remains poorly demarcated, resulting in tension and conflicts between the two sides despite a series of agreements.

The situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is “stable but sensitive,” zeenews.india.com Jan 13 quote Dwivedi as saying. He has explained that in situations where the potential for violence is high and tensions can escalate quickly, creating distance is necessary.

He has noted that during negotiations, certain areas were designated as temporary moratoriums, meaning both sides agreed to stay back and avoid common areas to prevent possible violent encounters.

Dwivedi ha said the trust between India and China had taken on a new definition, emphasising the need for a broader understanding to de-escalate tensions and rebuild trust. For this, “We are now looking forward to the next special representatives meeting which should take place.”

“In October, the situation in Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh was resolved. The patrolling of traditional areas in these two sub-sectors has commenced. Similarly, traditional grazing has also commenced in these two areas. I have authorized all my co-commanders to handle these issues at the ground level with respect to patrolling and grazing so that these trivial issues can be resolved at the military level itself,” Dwivedi said in a presser,” the ANI news service Jan 13 quoted Dwivedi as saying.

He has also made it clear: “Our deployment along LAC is balanced and robust. We are well poised to deal with any situation. A focus capability development for northern borders enabled infusion of niche technology into a war-fighting system.”

Meanwhile, on Jan 13, Prime Minister Modi has inaugurated a strategic Himalayan road tunnel between Kashmir and Ladakh, pushing all-weather access northwards towards contested high-altitude border zones with rivals China and Pakistan.

The Z-Morh or Sonmarg tunnel, stretching 6.4 kilometres (four miles) beneath a treacherous mountain pass cut off by snow for between four to six months a year, is part of a wider infrastructure drive in border zones, noted the AFP Jan 13.

It helps connect Indian-administered Kashmir with Ladakh, acting as a stepping stone in opening the Srinagar-Leh Highway all year round to allow rapid deployment of military supplies.

On the other side of the border, China has conducted a combat drill in a high-altitude plateau area, reinforcing its military focus on preparedness and logistics support in extreme conditions, days ahead of the Indian Army’s foundation day, reported indiatoday.in Jan 13.

Headed by a regiment of the Chinese army’s Xinjiang Military Command, the military exercise featured advanced military technology, including all-terrain vehicles, unmanned systems, drones, and exoskeletons designed to enhance soldier mobility and endurance, the report said.

The report noted that’s China’s logistics support exercise underscored its strategic intent to enhance operational readiness in high-altitude environments, particularly in the Xinjiang region, which borders Ladakh. The inclusion of cutting-edge technologies, such as unmanned vehicles and drones, was stated to reflect Beijing’s focus on modernizing its military capabilities for asymmetric warfare.

The report made it clear that these drills are not mere training exercises; they serve as strategic posturing, signalling China’s ability to rapidly mobilize and sustain forces in contested regions. The use of exoskeletons, for instance, could give PLA soldiers a tactical advantage in overcoming the physiological challenges of high-altitude warfare.

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