China Protests US-India Military Exercises Near LAC Border Amid A Border Dispute

On Thursday, China’s defence ministry stated that it was adamantly opposed to any outsider “interfering” in the border dispute and expressed the hope that India would uphold the bilateral agreements not to conduct military exercises close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which it has been accused of breaking in eastern Ladakh, resulting in a protracted standoff.

Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) spokesperson Senior Colonel Tan Kefei made the remarks in response to a question regarding reports that US and Indian special forces recently conducted a joint combat exercise in the southern foothills of the Himalayas and their plans to conduct a joint military exercise code-named “War Exercise” (Yudh Abhyas) in October close to the border.

Tan stated at an online press conference that “we vehemently reject any third party to meddle in the China-India border problem in any form.”

Tan stated that China has consistently emphasised the need for relevant nations’ military cooperation, particularly during drills and training activities, to not be directed against any particular third party but rather to support the maintenance of regional peace and stability.

The dispute over the border between China and India is between the two nations. Both parties have agreed to appropriately resolve the problem through bilateral discussions and have maintained effective communication at all levels, he said.

He was cited as saying by the Chinese Defence Ministry online: “Neither side is authorised to conduct military exercises against the other in areas close to the Line of Actual Control in light of the relevant agreements reached by China and India in 1993 and 1996.”

The Indian side, he said, “is hoped to strictly abide by the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and the relevant agreements, uphold its commitment to resolving border issues through bilateral channels, and maintain peace and tranquilly in the border area with practical actions.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attempts to move a significant number of troops to the disputed areas in the LAC in eastern Ladakh in May 2020 has sparked a major military standoff that is still ongoing, making the Chinese Defense Ministry’s reference to the agreements from 1993 and 1996 interesting.

According to India, the PLA’s activities violated the bilateral agreements.

The two parties concluded the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake as well as in the Gogra region as a result of numerous military and diplomatic discussions.

Commanders-level negotiations have been held 16 times between the two sides to end the deadlock.

India has repeatedly argued that sustaining peace and tranquilly along the LAC was essential for the growth of bilateral relations as a whole.

Currently on a six-day trip around Latin America, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar claimed last week that China’s contempt for the boundary agreements with India has hurt bilateral relations. He argued that respect must be shown in both directions in order for a relationship to continue.

“That has been overlooked by them (Chinese). You are aware of the recent events in the Galwan Valley. That issue still exists, and it is obviously having an impact “In Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday, Jaishankar remarked.

In October, a massive military exercise between India and the US will begin in Auli, Uttarakhand, taking into account the rapidly changing regional security environment.

Beginning on October 14 and ending on October 31, the 18th iteration of the exercise “Yudh Abhyas” is planned, according to sources in the defence and military establishment earlier this month.

The big exercise will include a lot of intricate manoeuvres, they claimed. The latest iteration of the drill took place in Alaska, United States, in October of the previous year.