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China-India border dispute
ChinaDiplomacy

India has sent more troops to disputed China border, President Ram Nath Kovind says

  • Parliament hears that forces have been built up ‘to protect India’s sovereignty’ over disputed territory
  • Previously external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar accused China of ‘signalling a disregard for commitments about minimising troop levels’

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Indian soldiers have fought with Chinese counterparts at their shared border, where India says China has broken commitments. Photo: AFP
Sarah Zheng

India’s President Ram Nath Kovind said the country had deployed additional forces to its disputed Himalayan border with China, as tensions over a months-long border stand-off continue to flare despite multiple rounds of talks.

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Kovind told a joint session of parliament on Friday that the government had strengthened its military presence at Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the countries’ shared 3,488km (2,167-mile) border to protect the country’s sovereignty.

“My government is fully committed to the protection of the interests of the nation, and is also vigilant,” he said. “Additional forces have also been deployed to protect India’s sovereignty over the LAC.”

The move despite the two sides agreeing to push for the early disengagement of troops after the ninth round of border talks between senior military officials concluded on Monday, with a tenth round of negotiations in the works.

The previous day external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on condemned China for massing troops and building infrastructure at the border, describing a deadly clash last year as having “profoundly disturbed” their relationship.
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Jaishankar said at an academic conference on Thursday that the violent skirmish in the Himalayan region of Ladakh last June that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and caused an unspecified number of Chinese casualties had “not only signalled a disregard for commitments about minimising troop levels, but also showed a willingness to breach peace and tranquillity”. It was the first deadly clash along the disputed border since 1975.
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