China Holds Military Drill After Blaming India for Border Scuffle

Indian and Chinese troops have been embroiled in an eight-week-long standoff on the Doklam plateau.

(Photo: The Quint) 

China has laid the blame at India’s door for an altercation along their border in the western Himalayas involving soldiers from both sides.

Indian and Chinese troops have been embroiled in an eight-week-long standoff on the Doklam plateau, close to Sikkim.

Also Read: Doklam Standoff Explained: Who’s Involved & Why’s India Bothered?

Last week, a source in New Delhi, who had been briefed on the military situation on the border, told Reuters that soldiers foiled an attempt by a group of Chinese troops to enter Indian territory in Ladakh, near Pangong lake.

Some of the Chinese soldiers carried iron rods and stones, and troops on both sides suffered minor injuries in the melee, the source said.

Also Read: “Incidents Like Ladakh Scuffle Not in Interest of India or China”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that last Tuesday, Chinese border forces were carrying out “normal” patrols on the Chinese side of the actual line of control in the Pangong lake area.

During this time, they were obstructed by Indian border forces and the Indian side took fierce actions, colliding with the Chinese personnel and having contact with their bodies, injuring the Chinese border personnel.

Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman

What India did went against the two countries' consensus to keep peace on the border and it endangered the situation there, she added. "China is extremely dissatisfied with this" and had lodged solemn representations, Hua said.

India's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the incident in Ladakh took place but has not given any details.

Indian media have shown footage taken on a mobile phone purportedly of the scuffle, originally posted by a retired army officer, with stone throwing and shoving by soldiers of both countries.

Also Read: Doklam Standoff: Why War Is Not An Option for India

PLA Holds Military Drill To “Strike Awe in India”

Amid escalating tensions over the Doklam stand-off with India, China has conducted a military drill in the western part of the country.

The drill was meant to “strike awe in India”, a Chinese military expert was quoted as saying by the Lianhe Zaobao daily.

The drill was conducted by the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The location and timing of the exercise were not disclosed.

According to the China Central Television, 10 PLA units including aviation and armoured forces participated in the drills.

(With inputs from IANS and Reuters.)

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