China Ready for ‘War’ with India, holds Live-Fire Drills Near Border

Image courtesy of War on the Rocks

 

The ruling Communist Party of China has issued a stern warning to neighboring India, with which it is engaged in a bitter border dispute that has recently seen Chinese live-fire drills and media speculation of extensive Indian military casualties denied by both sides.

After accusing Indian troops of crossing over the disputed Sikkim border last month, Chinese Communist Party outlet Global Times published a commentary Tuesday urging restraint by both belligerents, but warning that China was prepared to engage India in a battle for the contested land. The piece chalked up the conflict to a greater competition for economic and political dominance between the two leading Asian powers and said that Beijing would amass troops and armaments at the border in anticipation for what could turn into an all-out war.

Chinese and Indian troops in Himalayan standoff

China’s Ministry of Defence said the two sides’ understanding of the line of the border was not the same

Hundreds of Indian and Chinese troops have dug into positions on a high Himalayan plateau, leading India’s army chief to cancel a foreign trip and monitor a standoff that underscores deep differences between the Asian giants as they seek closer ties.

Military officials in New Delhi and Kashmir said on Tuesday that Chinese troops set up a camp about 3 km (2 miles) into territory claimed by India in the Chumar region of the Ladakh plateau more than a week ago.

Indian soldiers have set up their own base nearby and have been told not to back down, the officials said.

India, Pakistan intensify cross-border firing as ties sour

SRINAGAR India – Indian and Pakistani troops intensified firing across the border over the weekend killing at least four, an Indian official said on Sunday, straining ties between the arch rivals who recently called off top-level diplomatic talks.

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The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since both countries became independent in 1947. They have fought three wars and came close to a fourth in 2001 and there have been regular clashes on the Line of Control that divides Indian- and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Chinese Troops Enter 25km Inside Ladakh, Claim Territory

Much like the Gonkard area, the Despang plain is an area which was trespassed on is also possibly being scouted and surveyed as a possible PLAA airfield. It would give them first-strike capability over India and put them further into submission. It’s a very high altitude location which would be hard to strike for most planes. With both India and China in dispute over a ‘grey area’ of territory both claim to own, China has been posturing and leveraging its aggressiveness towards its neighbor because it smells weakness in India which is showing it doesn’t know how to handle the situation.

 

New Delhi/Leh, Aug 19: Set aside the positive bilateral relations between China and India, the Chinese troops have started infiltrating in the Indian territory yet again. This time they have entered 25 to 30 km deep into Indian territory in Burtse area of North Ladakh, officials sources said.

This is the very place where they had established their tents last year, which led to a tense 3-week stand-off.

The Chinese troops were first noticed by a patrol of Indian troops on when the latter were moving from their base towards the higher ‘New Patrol base’ post in Burtse, which is at an altitude of 17,000 feet.