Amid tensions between India and China over the standoff in eastern Ladakh, Chinese President Xi Jinping has appointed a new Commander to the People’s Liberation Army’s Western Theatre Command, under whose jurisdiction the Indo-China border falls, reported news agency PTI.
According to the report, President Xi, who helms the all-powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), has appointed General Zhang Xudong as Commander of the Western Theatre Command.
Apart from General Xudong, President Xi has promoted four senior Chinese Military and Armed Police Officers. This includes, Guo Puxiao, Political Commissar of the Logistic Support Department of the CMC along with Li Wei, who holds the same designation as Puxiao, in the Strategic Support Force.
General Zhang, who has reportedly served in other theatre commands of the PLA, will take over from General Zhao Zongqi, under whose watch the stand-off at eastern Ladakh had unfurled.
Zongqi had also helmed the Western Command Theatre, when the 2017 Doklam standoff had broke out between Indian and Chinese forces in 2017, after the PLA attempted to construct a road close to the Indian border, in a territory claimed by Bhutan.
India and China, which have held multiple rounds of talks over the present standoff in Ladakh, had last held talks at the level of foreign ministries on 18 December. At that meeting, both sides agreed to disengage troops from all friction points along the LAC.
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