China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, 26 May, said that "the overall situation in the border areas is stable and controllable", amid reports indicating heightened tensions between the Indian and Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, with troops from both sides remaining engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation in several areas.
"China is committed to safeguarding the security of its national territorial sovereignty, as well as safeguarding peace and stability in the China-India border areas... At present, the overall situation in the border areas is stable and controllable. There are sound mechanisms and channels of communications for border-related affairs, and the two sides are capable of properly resolving relevant issues through dialogue and consultation," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s office said in a statement, Reuters reported.
On Monday, military sources cited by news agency PTI indicated that India had further increased its strength in Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley. Moreover, surveillance of the area had reportedly been ramped up with the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Meanwhile, China was said to have gathered around 5,000 soldiers on its side, according to a report in Hindustan Times.
Not just in Ladakh, the Indian Army had also strengthened deployment in Uttarakhand after “reports of Chinese beefing up their numbers in the opposite sector,” according to a report in The Indian Express.
Multiple meetings have been held between the local commanders of both sides to defuse the tensions, but have not been able to resolve the stalemate.
Earlier, there had been two instances of clashes between troops in eastern Ladakh and in the Nakula sector in Sikkim, wherein personnel from both sides were left injured. Last week, Army Chief General MM Naravane had visited the Leh-based 14 Corps headquarters to review the situation there.
In 2017, tensions between India and China soared when troops from both the countries were involved in the Doka La standoff, lasting for 73 days.
(With inputs from PTI, The Indian Express and Hindustan Times.)
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