The Indian Foreign Ministry has denounced the Chinese government for its decision to deploy a large number of troops and weapons on the controversial border they share in the Himalayas. According to the Indian authorities, Beijing has violated the bilateral agreements that govern this disputed area of the planet, where last week there were clashes between the military of both armies.
Those clashes left at least twenty people dead in the Indian ranks, while Beijing has not recognized casualties. However, the clashes took place without weapons, since the agreement signed between China and India on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), prevents the military on that border from being armed.
The Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Anurag Srivastava, has denounced that “the heart of the matter is that since the beginning of May, the Chinese part of the LAC has been accumulating a large contingent of troops and weapons along the border”. The tension between the Asian nuclear powers continues to rise.
Years of disagreement
According to Srivastava, China’s decision “is not in accordance with the provisions of our various bilateral agreements”, referring to the treaties signed in 1993 and which forces the maintenance of “limited” deployment on the border. Furthermore, the reinforcement of the Chinese side has forced New Delhi to send more men to the conflict zone in a “counter-attack deployment”.
Satellite images would have revealed new covered and camouflaged structures on the Chinese side so as not to reveal the construction of a camp
Both countries have blamed each other for the clashes that took place on June 16. However, although the military high command agreed to lower the tension and decrease the number of troops on the controversial border, the reality seems to be completely different.
As reported by Al Jazeera, the satellite images reveal that China would have added new structures in the Galwan Valley area that, according to India, is on its side of the LAC. In theory, it could be covered and camouflaged structures so as not to reveal the possible construction of a new Chinese camp. For Srivastava, “peace and tranquillity in the border area is the basis of our bilateral relationship. A continuation of the current situation would only vitiate the atmosphere.”