The Indian Army deployed 250 soldiers in the Galwan Valley, Aksai China after reports emerged stating that Chinese troop count in the region had increased.
Galway valley has become the latest flashpoint between India and China after soldiers from the Indian and Chinese army had clashed at Pangong Lake and Naku La Pass earlier this month.
New Delhi has bolstered its defensive capabilities in the region after China claimed the region as its territory and deployed hundreds of People’s Liberation Army troops and erected more than 80 tents.
According to Economic Times, the standoff is now in its second week with both countries having brought in reinforcements and established defensive positions. This is the longest standoff between the two nations since the standoff in Doklam in 2017.
The situation in Galwan Valley escalated after Chinese media on Monday accused India of building “illegal” defence facilities in the Galwan Valley region of the disputed Aksai Chin area, which is under Chinese control but claimed by India.
A top military source spoke to Global Times and said that actions by New Delhi have seriously violated China and India’s agreements on border issues, violated Chinese territorial sovereignty and harmed military relations between the two countries.
“In a resolute response to India’s recent, illegal construction of defence facilities across the border into Chinese territory in the Galwan Valley region, Chinese border defence troops have made the necessary moves and enhanced control measures,” the report added.
Beijing says the area is located in the Hotan Prefecture of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) but according to New Delhi, the area comes under the Union Territory of Ladakh. This is not the first time both countries have clashed over the Galwan Valley.
In November 2019, Beijing had expressed its displeasure as Indian depicted the Aksai Chin area as part of Ladakh in newly printed maps. Sino-Indian tensions are on the rise and not only in the Himalayas but also the Indian Ocean as Beijing has stared to flex muscles, according to Indian experts.
The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LaC, with China claiming the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai China in Ladakh. Indian on the other hand claim these areas to be an integral part of the country.
For many, Garwan Valley brings back memories of the 1962 Sino-Indian war, the last time the two nuclear-armed states were engaged in an all-out war.
