India says China tried to change 'status quo' at disputed border

NEW DELHI

India on Tuesday accused the Chinese military of trying to “unilaterally change the status quo” at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between the two countries.

Troops from India and China clashed last week along the LAC in India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, officials said on Monday.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh informed the parliament on Tuesday that on Dec. 9, Chinese soldiers tried to “transgress the LAC in Yangtse area of Tawang” in Arunachal Pradesh and the Chinese attempt was contested by Indian troops in a “firm and resolute manner.”

Singh said the ensuing faceoff led to a physical scuffle, in which the Indian army “bravely prevented the PLA (People's Liberation Army) from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts.”

The minister said the scuffle caused injuries to a few personnel on both sides. He, however, said there are “no fatalities or serious casualties” from the Indian side.

Noting that the issue has been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels, Singh said that due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, the PLA soldiers went back to their locations.

He also said the local Indian commander in the area held a flag meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Dec. 11. “The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquility along the border,” he said.

There has been no statement so far from the Chinese side on the matter.

On Tuesday morning, there was an uproar in the ongoing session of the Indian parliament with the opposition parties demanding a discussion on the border clash in Arunachal Pradesh.

Amid fresh tensions between the two countries, local broadcaster NDTV reported on Tuesday that Indian Air Force has launched “active combat patrols over Arunachal Pradesh after detecting enhanced Chinese air activity.”

The last week’s incident marks the first major clash between the two militaries since June 2020, when at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in a clash at the LAC in the high-altitude Himalayan region of Ladakh.

Tensions at the border eased after several rounds of talks, and the two sides stepped back. But the situation has not yet been fully resolved and the two sides have increased military deployments at the border.