(TibetanReview.net, Mar09’24) — In light of its latest assessment of threats posed by an expansionist China from across occupied Tibet, India has freed nearly 10,000 soldiers from its western border to redeploy them under a new command to its 532-km border in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh states, according to media reports Mar 8. China responded by saying the move was “not conducive to easing tensions” between the two sides, reported Reuters Mar 8. Meanwhile, India has faulted China’s breach of long-standing written agreements for the current border turmoil.
In addition, an existing contingent of 9,000 soldiers, already designated to the Chinese occupied Tibet border, will be brought under the newly created fighting command, reported Bloomberg Mar 7.
The two countries are still at loggerheads along at least two remaining unresolved sectors along the Tibet-border region in nearby Ladakh region following a violent night clash in mind-Jun 2020 that, however, did not involve the use of firearms. Twenty Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops were killed in that clash.
Both militaries have fortified positions and deployed troops and equipment there in the last few years.
However, the two countries have also agreed to maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels, and on Feb 19 held a constructive 19th army commander-level meeting for restoring normalcy in this western section of their border dispute.
“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, has said “We believe that India’s practice is not conducive to safeguarding peace and is not conducive to easing tensions,” she has added, referring to the news of India’s redeployment of its border troops.
“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.”
The Indian Army and defence ministry have declined to comment on the redeployment news. However, speaking at an event hosted by a TV channel, Defence minister Rajnath Singh has said: “We are working continuously towards keeping the morale of the soldiers high… They are equipped, capable and ready to give a befitting reply to anyone who casts an evil eye on India.”
Meanwhile, in Japan, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said Mar 7 that China had not observed longstanding written agreements with India.
“For example, … between 1975 and 2020, which is really 45 years, there was no bloodshed on the border, and in 2020, [that] changed,” timesofindia.com Mar 8 quoted Jaishankar as saying.
“We can disagree on many things, but when a country actually sort of does not observe written agreements with a neighbour, I think, you have caused … because … then raises a question mark about the stability of the relationship and frankly, about intentions,” Jaishankar has said in response to a question.
India and China share a 3,800-km frontier, a legacy of the latter’s annexation of Tibet and the former’s acceptance of the occupied territory as an autonomous region of China in a 1954 trade agreement.