Tensions between India and China along the LAC ‘worst’ in over 4 decades: US Admiral
Washington: Tensions between India and China along the actual line of control are the “worst” in over four decades, a top US admiral has told lawmakers during a congressional hearing on Indo-Pacific, a strategic region that has seen aggressive action from Beijing.
The statement from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Admiral John Aquilino on Wednesday preceded the 15th round of high-level military talks between India and China on March 11.
The tensions along the actual control line (LAC) between China (People’s Republic of China) and India are the worst in over four decades, Admiral Aquilino told members of the House Armed Services Committee during the congressional hearing on the Indo-Pacific region.
Aquilino said that in October 2021, the Chinese legislature passed a law on land borders that claims “sacred and inviolable” sovereignty and territorial integrity and provides an internal legal framework for greater PLA (People’s Liberation Army) involvement in border security.
This law came into force on January 1, 2022, representing a continuation of China’s use of national law as a pretext for the use of force to resolve territorial disputes, he said.
Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, said the United States is closely following developments along the actual control line at the India-China border.
In response to a question from Congressman Andy Kim, Ratner said India has faced tough situations from China along the LAC.
In the case of India, we have seen a test case of this in the last many years, where the Indians faced aggression from China on the actual control line, where the United States quickly provided capabilities in intelligence and in trying to improve trust and defense Grade.
It was a crucial moment. So it’s about them being ready to support our efforts, but also about us being ready to support theirs. And that’s exactly the kind of conversations we have at the political-military level with a number of our closest partners, Ratner said.
Aquilino said the Chinese have taken life on the Indian line of de facto control, citing the clash in the Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian military personnel died.
In February last year, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in clashes with the Indian Army, although it is widely believed that the death toll was higher.
They have rejected their agreement as it applied to Hong Kong. They have barricaded a million Muslims inside Xinjiang. So their actions, the actions of China, not the actions of the United States, not the actions of any other nations, are the things that give us concern, he said.
Aquilino said China is seeking to become a global military power and acquire the ability to conquer Taiwan while developing conventional weapons that can reach the American homeland.
China sees Taiwan, an autonomous island, as a rebel province that must be reunited with the mainland, even by force.
China is also seeking to establish a network of overseas military installations that will expand its reach, enabling support for an increasingly global PLA capable of projecting power far beyond the Indo-Pacific, Aquilino said.
China claims almost the entire disputed South China Sea, although Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. Beijing is also involved in a maritime dispute with Japan over the East China Sea.
Beijing’s intertwined economic and military impacts are evident in the economic coercion China has taken against US allies and like-minded partners. President Xi (Jinping)’s signature One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative (better known as the Belt and Road Initiative) is one of Beijing’s efforts to increase its influence and access globally.
China’s military-civilian fusion even makes academic research collaborations with China units in certain sectors fraught with potential national security risk, he said.
China’s press campaign against Taiwan, deliberate undermining of autonomy in Hong Kong, activities along the Sino-Indian line of de facto control and excessive maritime demands create instability and increase the risk of unintended events, Aquilino added.
According to Indian officials, India and China will hold the next round of high-level military talks at the Chushul Moldo meeting place in Ladakh on Friday to conclude the 22-month standoff at the remaining friction areas.
India has spoken to China about a rapid cut-off of the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, such as Patrol Point 15 (Hot Springs), Depsang Bulge and Demchok.
The eastern Ladakh border between the Indian and Chinese military erupted on May 5, 2020 after a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area. Both sides gradually improved their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weapons.