India admits massing troops on border with China and accuses Beijing of starting arms race over disputed valley
- India has been involved in clashes with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley
- Both sides have vowed to ‘disengage’ in the region, but there is little sign of that
- India’s foreign ministry has admitted troops are deployed in ‘large numbers’
- But he accused China of starting the arms race by increasing its troop numbers
India has admitted deploying ‘large numbers’ of troops along its border with China as New Delhi refuses to back down over the hotly-disputed valley.
Anurag Srivastava, spokesman for the foreign ministry, confirmed for the first time Thursday that India has been sending reinforcements to the region – despite promises to ‘disengage’.
But he blamed China for starting the arms race by increasing its own troop numbers in early May, forcing India to increase the size of its own garrison to match.
India has admitted massing troops on its border with China, but says Beijing started the arms race by increasing its garrison last month (pictured, an Indian jet over the region)
New Delhi says military leaders from both sides are still negotiating, but that ‘large numbers’ of troops remain in the disputed Galwan Valley in the meantime (pictured, Indian troops)
Tensions between the two countries spilled over into violence on June 15 when soldiers were involved in vicious hand-to-hand fighting, leaving 20 Indians and an unknown number of Chinese dead.
India accuses China of interrupting its patrols and building structures on its side of the border, while Beijing says its troops were forced to respond after being attacked.
Srivastava said Thursday that ‘both sides remain deployed in large numbers in the region, while military and diplomatic contacts are continuing’.
‘At the heart of the matter is that since early May, the Chinese side has been amassing a large contingent of troops and armaments along the LAC,’ he said, using an acronym for Line of Actual Control, the name for the unofficial border.
‘While there have been occasional departures in the past, the conduct of Chinese forces this year has been in complete disregard of all mutually agreed norms.’
Satellite images have also revealed large numbers of Chinese soldiers in the region, including newly-constructed barricades and a camp (pictured)
Military commanders have held talks and their foreign ministers have also discussed ways to end the showdown.
‘Peace and tranquility in the border areas is the basis of our bilateral relationship,’ said Srivastava, demanding that China follow up on its pledge to cool tensions.
‘A continuation of the current situation would only vitiate the atmosphere for the development of the relationship.’
Beijing has also called on India ‘to immediately stop all infringing and provocative actions.’
India and China fought a border war in 1962 and have regularly clashed since.
Guns and explosives have been banned from the border since the two sides signed an agreement in 1996.
That meant this month’s clashes took place with rocks and batons.
Indian military sources have also released images of nail-studded clubs which they say were used by Chinese forces in the clashes.