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China-India tensions mount as troop stand-offs along disputed border cause speculation to swirl

  • Indian and Chinese troops have reportedly clashed this month at different sections of the Line of Actual Control that separates the two countries
  • Analysts say the response from both sides points to a shared desire for de-escalation, yet speculation has still been rife into the other’s motives

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A Chinese soldier gestures next to an Indian soldier at a border crossing between India and China in Sikkim state. Photo: AFP
Tensions at the border between India and China have spiked in recent weeks amid a flurry of media reports pointing to a series of skirmishes and military build-up by both sides.
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Neither countries’ leadership has issued an official comment on the stand-offs so far, which analysts say points to a shared desire not to heighten tensions further.

Yet speculation has still been rife into the other side’s motives, with both trading allegations of attempted military incursions, bringing the seven-decade old border dispute between the two Asian giants firmly back into focus.

According to Indian media reports, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in early May at two different sections of the Line of Actual Control that separates the two countries.
Pangong Lake high up in the Ladakh region of India. Photo: AP
Pangong Lake high up in the Ladakh region of India. Photo: AP
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The skirmishes near Pangong lake in India’s Ladakh and the Naku La mountain pass in Sikkim resulted in injuries on both sides, the reports said.

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