The Galwan region’s satellite images show that the Chinese posts, which were destroyed during the June 15 clash between Indian and Chinese armed forces, have been reconstructed by China. The images also show that “defensive barriers” have emerged on the Indian side.
Also read: India-China Border Clash Turns Violent, 20 Indian Soldiers Killed
The increased infrastructure appears despite India and China agreeing to pull back troops and disengage in all “friction areas” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. The agreement was reached after an 11-hour meeting between 14 Corps commander Lt-Gen Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District Chief Major General Liu Li0n, who met at Moldo, on the Chinese side of the LAC on Monday. It was decided that the step-by-step disengagement will first take place in the Galwan region and the Gogra-Hot Springs area. Experts claim that the process in these locations is likely to be less complicated, given that the alignment of the LAC is not disputed there.
Also Read: India, China Agree to Gradual and Verifiable Disengagement in Eastern Ladakh
China continues to stand by its claim that the Indian side provoked the conflict by crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Sun Weidong, the Chinese Ambassador, said, “We hope the Indian side meets the Chinese side halfway, avoids taking actions that may complicate the border situation and takes concrete actions to maintain stability in the border areas.” He further urged India to refrain from taking the path of “suspicion and friction” and instead adopt “mutual respect and support”.
The Indian Foreign Ministry said that the increased military activity in the region by China, coupled with troops’ deployment, amounts to a violation of bilateral agreements in place between the two countries. Deepak Kapoor, a former Indian army chief, said, “There is a trust deficit so far as the Chinese are concerned.” He added, “So if they are telling us verbally they are ready to pull back, we will wait to see it on the ground. Until then, the armed forces will be on alert.”
Alongside its strategic reorientation, India also intends to impose measures to reduce its dependence on Chinese markets. India plans on increasing “inspections, product testing, and enhanced quality certification requirements.” Apart from imposing “strict quality control and higher tariffs” on China, India’s Trade Ministry is also looking into other measures that can be implemented without flouting the trade rules as per the World Trade Organisation. The state-run Bureau of Indian Standards is already assessing the implementation of stricter measures on the import 370 products, including electronics, chemicals, and pharmaceutical products. Indian officials are also considered to curb the import of 1,173 “non-essential products”, “including toys, plastic, and steel products.
However, this may not be an easy task to achieve. Representatives of the automobile and pharmaceutical industry have already said that independence from Chinese markets is impossible to achieve. Officials from the pharmaceutical industry say that 70% of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients are imported from Chine. In fact, out of all of its trading partners, India holds the largest trade deficit with China. In the 2018-2019 financial year, India imported goods worth $70.3 billion from China, while exporting worth merely $16.7 billion.
Therefore, any attempts at an economic decoupling must carefully weigh the many risks associated with such a policy, given that India remains highly dependent on China.
India-China Border Dispute Coverage:
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- Indian Army Chief Addresses Simmering Tensions with Nepal, China, and Pakistan
- Multiple Chinese Army Incursions Reported Along LAC, Indian Army Chief Takes Stock
- PM Modi Meets With Top Military Brass to Discuss Escalating Indo-China Border Tensions
- Donald Trump Offers to “Mediate” India-China Border Dispute
- Modi and Morrison Deepen India and Australia’s Strategic, Diplomatic, and Economic Ties
- PLA Keeps Up Pressure on LAC Amid Border Tensions with India
- India, China Increase Military Presence Along LAC
- India and China Pull Back Troops From Three Key Areas in Eastern Ladakh
Image Source: Defence Aviation Post