Media reports of further deployment even before the June 6 meeting between China and India
Sources within the Indian Army claimed that tens of thousands of troops were moved to all parts of the border with China during May. China recently entered the Indian controlled areas in Laddakh, capturing an area of 60 sq. km. The forces were moved to the entire length of the border with China with forces moving to the Western, middle, and Eastern regions.
The sources also claimed that the deployment took place before the June 6 meeting between India’s Lt. General Harinder Singh and China’s South Xinjiang Military District Commander Major General Liu Lin. The movement was based on the actions taken by the opposing side, the sources added.
“Since May, China has increased its troop presence in other sectors as well. Accordingly, India too has increased troop presence in other sectors,” sources said, “it happened before the June 6 meeting” and “they are not deployed along the LAC.”
“If you see some more troops are required, you deploy more troops. If you feel they are not required, you move them back. It is a dynamic process, based on what the other side does,” sources said.
On June 12, Indian news agency – ANI reported that India beefed up its fighting formations “in retaliation” along the Indo-Sino border in Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
In a related development, EurAsian Times on June 12, 2020 quoted the Australian
Australian media says that Indian has the most powerful partner on its side – the United States.
The report states that India and the US are the world’s two biggest democracies, sharing common interests in free trade, defending the strategic sea lanes of the Indian Ocean, and preventing China’s growing ‘negative’ influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the two sides were in communication and things are moving in the right direction. “Recently, the diplomatic and military channels of China and India held effective communication on the situation along the border and reached positive consensus. The two sides are following this consensus to take actions to ease the situation along the borders,” Hua said.
China and India have maintained strong trade relations over the years. However, some bordering areas are a bone of contention between the two neighboring countries as both claim them as their own. Another factor causing tensions is China’s leaning towards Pakistan and its support for Pakistan’s claim on Kashmir.