Washington:

India has asserted that it would follow a bilateral approach to resolve its border disputes with China after President Donald Trump offered to mediate an end to the “border skirmishes”. The President’s offer came after he held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House.

During a joint news conference with PM Modi, President Trump noted that the skirmishes were quite violent – and that he would like to help.

“I look at India, I do see the skirmishes on the border, which are quite vicious, and I guess they continue to go on. If I could be of help, I’d love to help because that should be stopped. That’s been going on for a long time and it’s quite violent. It’s quite violent,” said the Republican leader who returned as President of the US last month.

Read: Inside PM Modi-Trump Meet: 5th Gen Jets, 26/11 Extradition, ‘Mission 500’

Less than an hour later, the government turned down the offer saying India has always adopted a bilateral approach in such cases.

Providing a round-up of the PM’s US visit to the media, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “Whatever issues we have with any of our neighbours, we have always adopted a bilateral approach to dealing with these issues.”

Trump had offered to mediate between India-China and even India-Pakistan in the past, but the government had turned down such offers.

The US leader has been trying to position himself as a global peacemaker as he seeks to play a role in quelling geopolitical conflicts across the globe with a focus on Russia-Ukraine and the Middle East.

The Foreign Secretary also responded to Trump’s offer to provide India with fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter jets, saying that this is still at the stage of proposal and formal talks haven’t started.

Read: F-35 Fighter Jets, Javelin Missiles: What PM Modi, Trump Discussed On Defence Ties

In his press briefing, Mr Misri also spoke about tariffs – a key economic weapon used by Mr Trump to weed off trade inequalities. Hours before he met PM Modi, Trump unleashed reciprocal tariffs for all countries in a tit-for-tat trade policy.

Mr Misri said the issue came up several times during their discussion and the two leaders shared their perspectives.

“What’s more remarkable is the fact that we have a way forward on this issue in terms of the undertaking to discuss or start discussions on a bilateral trading agreement, and this may actually be a very good opportunity to take forward something and conclude something which was actually foreseen in the first Trump administration,” said the Foreign Secretary.

Under the previous Trump regime, Indian and US officials had worked on a trade deal to be signed during PM Modi’s 2020 US visit but were unable to finalise it. The talks for the bilateral trade agreement would be restarted with the deadline being the fall of 2025, according to the India-US joint statement released Thursday evening.

“So we are looking at the next seven to eight months to get this done, and today, in a sense, both teams have got the instructions or the indications from the highest levels to start engaging on this,” said Mr Misri.

New Delhi:

There is no contradiction of position on the situation along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted on Friday, days after Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said a “degree” of standoff exists between Indian and Chinese militaries in the region.

“We do not see any contradiction between what the Army Chief has said and the position we have taken,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Following an understanding reached on October 21, the Indian and Chinese militaries sides completed the disengagement of troops at the two remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on the margins of the BRICS Summit in Russia on October 23 and agreed to revive various bilateral dialogue mechanisms, signalling an intention to normalise the relations.

Last month, NSA Ajit Doval travelled to Beijing and held Special Representatives talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the boundary dispute.

At a press conference this week, Gen Dwivedi said there is still a “degree” of standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries and both sides need to sit down and firm up a broader understanding on how to calm down the situation and restore trust.

Asked about the Army chief’s remarks, Jaiswal said his weekly media briefing that both the Army and the MEA are on the same page on the issue.

“I would refer to the position taken by the external affairs minister in the parliament. The external affairs minister had made the position very clear with regard to disengagement,” Jaiswal said.

“Where the October 21st understanding is concerned, our objective has been to ensure patrolling as in the past to the relevant patrolling points as well as resumption of grazing by our civilians as per longstanding practice,” he said.

“This is indeed what we have agreed upon with regard to Depsang and Demchok. The terms of the disengagement agreement reached prior to October 21, 2024 continue to hold in relevant areas in eastern Ladakh,” he added.

Jaiswal also noted that Jaishankar had also underlined that the “task of de-escalation remains to be addressed”.

“If you take these issues into account, you would realise that there is absolutely no contradiction between the positions taken,” he said.

In his remarks, Gen Dwivedi, describing the situation in the region as “sensitive but stable”, said the corps commanders of the Army have been delegated powers to resolve “trivial” matters or “minor frictions” relating to patrolling and grazing so that they do not become “big” issues later.

The Army Chief also said that there was no such thing called buffer zones as a temporary moratorium was put on patrolling in certain areas to avoid chances of violence.

Gen Dwivedi said the Army is looking forward to the next meeting of the Special Representatives on the boundary question of the two countries as well as talks under the framework of WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination) on India-China border affairs.

We will be moving forward based on the guidance emerging from the meetings, he had said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday said that verification patrolling has commenced in Demchok and Depsang, paving the way for coordinated patrolling to begin once the disengagement is fully finalized.

This development follows an agreement reached on October 21, 2024, between India and China on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, bringing an end to the over four-year military standoff.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “On October 21, 2024, the last phase of disengagement was agreed upon between India and China. As a result, verification patrolling has commenced on mutually agreed terms in Demchok and Depsang. We will keep you updated.”

Notably, in a significant diplomatic development, India and China held their first bilateral talks in five years on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, marking a crucial step towards mending the strained relations between the two neighbouring countries, which have been marred by a prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Mr Jaiswal said, “The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping took place in Kazan. It was bilaterally arranged.”

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri while addressing the media in Kazan, stated that “this agreement is the outcome of extensive discussions over the past several weeks with Chinese interlocutors at both diplomatic and military levels.”

He noted that military commanders have been involved in negotiations aimed at addressing the tensions that have persisted since 2020.

Mr Misri explained that the agreement signifies a path toward disengagement and a potential resolution of the issues that arose during the significant confrontations in 2020.

He recalled the clashes that occurred between the People’s Liberation Army of China and the Indian Army, particularly highlighting the violent encounters in June 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides.

“On several areas along the Line of Actual Control, we held discussions with Chinese interlocutors both on diplomatic as well as the military levels through meeting with military commanders at various levels. These discussions had in the past resulted in the resolution of standoffs at various locations. There are some locations and areas where stand-offs had not been resolved,” said Misri.

The disengagement is seen as the first concrete step towards restoring the pre-2020 status quo ante. The Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, resulting in casualties on both sides, was the most severe conflict between the two nations in decades. Additionally, agreements have been reached in other sectors along the LAC.

India and China emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity at the border, underscoring that mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity should form the foundation of their relationship. PM Modi highlighted that the restoration of peace in the border areas is essential for the normalisation of bilateral relations.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Indian and Chinese troops have started patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh after a gap of over four years, marking a massive de-escalation in border tensions sparked by a deadly clash between the two sides in 2020.

The soldiers patrolled areas in Depsang and Damchok on Thursday after informing the other side, a day after they completed military disengagement, in line with a patrolling agreement that they agreed to last week.

The soldiers also exchanged sweets yesterday at five locations on the LAC, including Chushul Maldo and Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh, on the occasion of Diwali.

Patrolling was stopped in Depsang and Damchok for about four and a half years after troops from the two sides clashed in Galwan Valley in June 2020, leading to the death of 20 Indian soldiers.

New Delhi:

Senior Indian military sources who have analysed satellite imagery of a new Chinese base on the North bank of the Pangong Lake say that the site ”is unlike any other site” that lies on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual control.

The site in question, images of which have been published in this report, lies 36 kilometres East of the LAC on territory China holds. It is approximately 15 km East of a new bridge that China has constructed across the high-altitude Pangong Lake in Ladakh and marks Beijing’s latest effort at stepping up pressure in areas near the Line of Actual Control which were previously unoccupied.  

Military sources say the site, which features upwards of 70 permanent structures, ”has been dispersed over a wide area.  This has been done to reduce the potential impact of missile attacks.” The site appears to have two primary functions – to accommodate soldiers and porters who are involved in China’s construction activity in the area.  And to store logistics for potential transfer to locations along the LAC with India.  ”Each structure can accommodate 6-8 soldiers or up to 10 tonnes of logistics,” say military experts. This can include ammunition, including artillery shells.  

”A major development initiative appears to be underway at this village, evidenced by the heavy machinery, including cranes, and substantial supply depots,” says the geospatial imagery expert Damien Symon. ”The settlement is witnessing the development of multiple double-storey buildings alongside village administrative offices and emerging town centres. Electrification efforts are progressing as power lines are drawn from the southern highway. Furthermore, to secure the water supply, a potential pumping station is being constructed to the north, drawing fresh water from an adjacent riverbed. Thanks to these preparations, the village, once established, is likely to be well-shielded from the area’s extreme and unforgiving climate.”

In April 2022, the site was clear. However, the construction started in March 2024.

Lt. General DS Hooda (retired), the former Northern Army Commander who speared India’s surgical strikes on Pakistani territory, says the site under construction has dual uses. ”It enables China to say that they are only improving facilities for the civilian population, but this is clearly dual-use infrastructure that would be utilised by the military in a conflict.” 

 The construction of this site also changes facts on the ground.  ”Article VII of the 2005 agreement between India and China on the political parameters and guiding principles for the settlement of the boundary question states that ‘in reaching a boundary settlement, the two sides shall safeguard due interests of the settled population in border areas.’  However, by creating these villages in areas claimed by India, where there was no settled population, China is attempting to strengthen its claims and weaken our bargaining position,” says Lt. General Hooda. ”This is a long game.”

An NDTV report published in July showed Chinese vehicles crossing its Pangong Lake bridge, 15 km from the new site.

The report also identified fortified sites to the North of the bridge, including a likely air defence site which could house a surface-to-air missile battery. This site would likely protect this new Chinese base from aerial attacks.

“The issue of concern is the size and scale of construction and infrastructure so close to the LAC in conjunction with the bridge across Pangong Tso which connects the North and South banks,” says Lt. General Satish Dua (retired), a former Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff. “The bridge allows lateral switching of forces and this dual-use village could be used as a logistic hub. We will have to keep a close watch over their activities in the region, which should give us an advance warning of any malafide activities.”

Damien Symon, perhaps the closest international observer of fresh developments along the India-China frontier says that construction activity at the new site appears to replicate similar activity in Chinese-held areas on the South bank of the Pangong Lake. “Similar construction activity has recently also been noted near Spanggur Lake’s eastern region where another sizeable settlement is under construction approximately 18 kilometres from Rezang La, where Indian forces outmanoeuvred the Chinese during the 2020 border standoff.”

The Ministry of External Affairs, which was forwarded these images by NDTV last week, has chosen not to respond specifically to the new Chinese construction activity. However, India has dramatically ramped up infrastructure development along the China frontier. This includes the construction of roads, tunnels, and other military facilities to ensure that Indian forces are well-prepared and can swiftly respond to any challenges posed by Chinese actions along the LAC. 

India’s Vibrant Villages programme, for which Rs 4,800 crore has been allocated from 2022-’23 to 2025-’26, is aimed at the comprehensive development of villages along the Northern border. The project, which promotes infrastructure development, livelihood opportunities and cultural and heritage promotion targets 2,967 villages in total. The project has a broader strategic goal of maintaining an Indian presence along the border which is seen as a deterrent against territorial encroachments.

A new Chinese heliport being constructed 20 kilometres east of the Line of Actual Control near the sensitive ‘Fishtails’ region of Arunachal Pradesh, may give Chinese armed forces the ability to speedily move in military resources into an under-developed, remote area along the Indo-Chinese frontier.

The heliport, images of which appear in this report, lies along the banks of the Gongrigabu Qu river in the Nyingchi Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region. This is within Chinese territory that India does not dispute.

Open-source satellite imagery available on EOS Data Analytics shows that till December 1, 2023, there was no construction at the site where the heliport is being constructed. A subsequent satellite image dated December 31, shows land being cleared for construction. The latest Maxar-sourced high-resolution images, shot on September 16, indicate that the facility is in an advanced state of construction.

Geospatial intelligence experts such as Damien Symon who first highlighted the existence of the heliport point out that “this new heliport will allow the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to intensify intelligence-gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities.” This closes logistical challenges in the densely forested region which features rugged mountains that make military movement cumbersome. The construction of the heliport “enables rapid troop deployment to distant areas, strengthening patrol efficiency and augmenting China’s overall military footprint in these strategically important, remote locations.”

Military sources who are monitoring the construction of the heliport add that while “this is definitely military infrastructure being constructed,” the new facility may also have a dual-use function to enable the movement of civilians into the remote area. The heliport, they add, enhances Chinese “defensive and offensive operations [and] their reaction capabilities increase.” This enables a speedy build-up of troops during a contingency.

The Fishtails area of Arunachal Pradesh, named after the distinctive shape of the boundary-line in this area, is comprised of Fishtail 1 and Fishtail 2. While Fishtail 1 lies in the Dibang Valley, Fishtail 2 is partly in the Anjaw district of the state. Both areas are considered ‘sensitive’, in other words, zones where China and India have differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control.

“This heliport will be a threat to key areas which are considered ‘sensitive’ here,” says Lt General Pravin Bakshi (retired), who headed the Eastern Command of the Indian Army. “I would take serious note and look to orchestrate a suitable response, if ever required, in concern with the Indian Air Force so as to prevent any ‘grey-zone’ warfare being efficiently prosecuted by the Chinese here.” Grey-Zone warfare refers to a form of conflict which falls below the threshold of conventional war while still threatening boundary lines through coercive means that threaten stability.

The heliport under construction features a 600-metre runway which can be used for rolling take-offs of helicopters, a technique used in high-altitude areas where there is less power available for helicopters to use. Despite this runway, the new heliport is situated in an area where the altitude is substantially lower than large tracts of the Tibetan plateau. This benefits helicopter operations. “While the rest of the plateau has a disadvantage because of altitude, the general altitude in this area is in the 1500 metre (approximately 5000 feet) range which allows greater payload to be carried by choppers and aircraft.”

The heliport also features at least three hangars, a sizeable apron area for helicopters to be positioned, an air traffic control facility and associated buildings and structures.

China’s construction of the new heliport comes at a time when Beijing is in the process of constructing hundreds of ‘Xiaokang’ or dual-use villages along the frontier with India. These villages are a tool for China to assert its claims in disputed areas along the Line of Actual Control. By constructing these villages and changing facts of the ground, China has been involved in what India’s late Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat referred to as “salami slicing” of territory. This has been particularly evident in the Kingdom of Bhutan, where undefended parts of its border regions, including ancestral lands of its royal family, have been physically taken over by the Chinese, who have built townships connected by an extensive road-network.

“This illustrates how China is quietly creating new facts on the ground,” says Brahma Chellaney, a leading strategic affairs expert who focusses closely on China. “The current efforts to defuse the military standoff raise the question as to what a possible deal can accomplish, given the new military realities China has created along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since 2020.”

India, which has engaged China in protracted talks after the violent skirmishes of 2020 in Ladakh, has begun countering China’s border strategy by launching the ‘Vibrant Villages’ development project that covers 3,000 villages in four Northeastern border states, including Arunachal Pradesh. Rs 4,800 crore has been allotted for the first phase of the project. Separately, a 2,400-kilometre trans-Arunachal highway is being completed that drastically reduces travel time, particularly in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh. The highway, along with separate road projects in the state, enable connectivity to frontline Army posts as well.

Shifting pressure to the east of Arunachal Pradesh through the construction of the new heliport, however, “opens up a new vista,” says Lt General Bakshi. Despite the rapid build-up of infrastructure along the frontier, “This area remains the least developed in our area of responsibility.”

With inputs from Divyam Sharma

In this photograph provided by the Indian Army, tanks pull back from the banks of Pangong Tso lake region, in Ladakh along the India-China border on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021.
| Photo Credit: AP

Citing news reports of a Chinese military base being built near Pangong Tso, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the Narendra Modi government demanding that the country be taken into confidence on the border situation with China.

Mr. Kharge shared a news report which said that the Chinese military had built bunkers to store weapons and fuel, and hardened shelters for armoured vehicles in an area around Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh. Mr. Kharge asked, “How can China build a military base near Pangong Tso on land which was under Indian occupation until May 2020?”

Mr. Kharge held the Narendra Modi government responsible for not maintaining the status quo ante at the LAC, with India losing possession of 26 patrolling points out of 65, including points in the Depsang Plains, Demchok and Gogra Hot Springs area

“The Indian National Congress once again reiterates its demand to take the nation into confidence on the border situation at the LAC. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our valiant soldiers,” Mr. Kharge said in a post on X. He also recounted PM Modi’s various statements on the prolonged standoff at LAC. He said this was the 5th year of giving clean chits to China. He cited, PM Modi’s interview in the run up to the elections on 10th April to foreign press where, as per Mr. Kharge, the PM failed to put forth India’s case strongly. On 13th April, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar too, in an interview said, “China has not occupied any of our land,” exposing Modi Govt’s “meek policy” towards China.

Mr. Kharge underlined that on 4th July, Mr. Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart. During the meeting, he spoke about “respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquillity in the border areas…” But parallelly, Mr. Kharge said, “China continues to be belligerent, occupying our territory and constructing a military base at Sirijap, reportedly land that was under Indian control.”

Several times over the past year or so, China’s government and airlines have asked India’s civil aviation authorities to re-establish direct air links.
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj

China is pressing India to restart direct passenger flights after a four-year halt, but New Delhi is resisting as a border dispute continues to weigh on ties between the world’s two most populous countries, officials said.

India-China relations have been tense since the biggest military confrontation in decades on their disputed Himalayan border killed 20 Indian and at least four Chinese soldiers in June 2020. Thousands of troops remain mobilised on each side.

Since the clash, India has made it difficult for Chinese companies to invest, banned hundreds of popular apps and severed passenger routes, although direct cargo flights still operate between the Asian giants.

Direct flights would benefit both economies, but the stakes are higher for China, where a recovery in overseas travel after the COVID-19 pandemic is lagging, while India’s aviation sector booms.

Several times over the past year or so, China’s government and airlines have asked India’s civil aviation authorities to re-establish direct air links, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, with one saying China considers this a “big issue”.

“We hope the Indian side will work with China in the same direction for the early resumption of direct flights,” China’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters in a statement last week, adding that resuming flights would be in both countries’ interests.

But a senior Indian official familiar with India-China bilateral developments said of Beijing’s desire to resume flights: “Unless there is peace and tranquillity on the border, the rest of the relationship cannot move forward.”

Indian airlines are holding discussions with New Delhi, while Chinese carriers are talking to their government about resuming direct routes, CEO Pieter Elbers of Indigo, India’s largest airline, told Reuters.

India’s external affairs and civil aviation ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

Beijing has repeatedly protested India’s ramped up scrutiny of Chinese businesses since 2020. Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi told India’s government this year that “confidence building” measures were needed as component suppliers were wary about setting up in India, citing compliance and visa issues.