China intends to keep the boundary issue "alive": Army Chief

New Delhi, May 10: Army Chief General Manoj Pande said the resolution of the border along LAC in eastern Ladakh with China remained the 'basic issue'. He also added there appeared to be a "lack of intent" from the Chinese side for a resolution.

 

The General who took over as the Army Chief on May 1 also said dialogue is the only way to resolve the situation along the northern border. In an interaction with media reporters, the Army Chief, when asked about his top priorities, listed the situation along the Northern Border with China as one of the main focus areas.

 

"The current situation on the Northern border that has been prevailing since April-May 2020, the aim and intention is to restore the status quo as prior to April 2020. Our intention is also to re-establish the trust and tranquillity on both sides," said the Army Chief. It should be noted that Gen Pande had headed the Eastern Army Command before taking over as the Army Chief, which is tasked with guarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors.

 

 

He said the basic issue with China remains the resolution of the border. "The basic issue remains the resolution of the border. What we see from the other side is that China's intent is not to find a resolution," General Pande said. "We need to address the issue in its entirety," he said adding, "any attempts to change the status quo will not be allowed." He said many rounds of Military Commando level talks have been held and more rounds will happen.

 

 

The Army Chief stressed that a resolution can be found only through dialogue. "Many friction areas we have talked about and resolved. Similarly in other areas where no disengagement has happened yet, solutions can be found only through dialogue, adding that it is not proper to discuss details," he said. He said as far as the level of preparation is concerned, India has "robust postures along LAC" and "adequate forces".

 

"Focus has been on upgrading intelligence, reconnaissance, and in building infrastructure to support operational and logistic requirements," he said. He also said induction of new technology is a part of ongoing process along the northern border. "Our troops continue to hold important positions along the LAC. Our guidance has been firm, resolute, in the task we are undertaking. We will prevent any attempts to change the status quo in terms of efforts to take the situation forward we are engaging through diplomatic and military channels," he said.

 

He said talks have so far resulted in disengagement from certain areas, for other areas the two sides will continue to engage in talks. "Any resolution to this will be reached only through dialogue."

 

 

The standoff between India and China in Ladakh began in May 2020 when Chinese troops tried to unilaterally alter the LAC in Eastern Ladakh sector, where the border is not clearly demarcated. The Chinese aggression led to in a situation in which India had to deploy troops to match Chinese military buildup to thwart the designs of the adversary especially in Depsang, Pangong Lake, Gogra Hills and Hot Springs areas. Though the military talks resulted in disengagement in Pangong Lake and Gogra areas, the standoff continues in some other areas like Depsang.