Top ministers review Arunachal border situation amid China incursion claims
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting in the Parliament complex on Wednesday amid social media claims suggesting a
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting in the Parliament complex on Wednesday amid social media claims suggesting a "slow incursion" by Chinese forces into Arunachal Pradesh. The meeting took place at the Defence Minister’s office in Parliament House as the government sought to address concerns triggered by renewed online discussion over Chinese activities near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Read Full Story Government sources had on Friday dismissed the claims of "slow encroachment" by China in Arunachal Pradesh, saying the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were "geared up to dominate the border, monitor and check Chinese activities". Officials said Arunachal Pradesh shares a long frontier with Tibet along the Great Himalayan range and that India has significantly strengthened infrastructure in the sector in recent years. Enhanced roads, forward habitats and surveillance systems, they said, have improved patrolling, domain awareness and response capability along the border.
Addressing reports of face-offs between Indian and Chinese patrols, government sources said, "Due to an undemarcated border, at times the patrols face off each other. This is resolved through existing mechanisms and protocols in vogue". They added that both the Army and the ITBP remain fully deployed in border areas to maintain vigilance across the LAC. SUSPECTED CHINESE ACTIVITY NEAR LAC The developments come against the backdrop of heightened public attention on Chinese infrastructure activity near Arunachal Pradesh and reports of aggressive posturing by Chinese troops in the Upper Subansiri region. While the Army has not publicly commented on those reports, New Delhi has reiterated that border-related issues are treated with the utmost seriousness. On Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs underlined that peace and tranquillity along the LAC remain central to the broader India-China relationship. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India considers border issues "most serious" and that maintaining peace and tranquillity in these areas is of "utmost importance".
He also said the state of the border would influence the larger trajectory of bilateral ties. INDIA-CHINA BORDER TALKS The same position was reiterated during the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) held on August 6, where both sides reviewed the situation along the LAC. According to the MEA, India and China agreed to continue using diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC and local commander-level meetings, to address outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. INDIA MAPS 27 LOCATIONS IN ARUNACHAL The latest exchanges have also coincided with a fresh cartographic dispute. India recently formally identified 27 locations and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh on official Survey of India maps, prompting objections from Beijing. Rejecting China’s criticism, Jaiswal said, "Arunachal is an inalienable and integral part of India and this is a fact which is self-evident.
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