As per intelligence reports, China is controlling 1,000 square kilometres of area in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The intelligence inputs were provided to the Centre and it was widely reported in national media on Tuesday. This report comes amidst the news of Chinese troops being engaged in provocative action in the south bank of Ladakh’s Pangong lake on Monday. China has been amassing troops and fortifying its presence along the LAC since April-May. Twenty soldiers were killed on 15 June in the Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh in violent clashes with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops. What should worry the security agencies of India is that, from Depsang Plains to Chushul, there has been a systematic mobilization by the Chinese troops along the undefined LAC in Ladakh sector.
The standoff at the border continues even after several rounds of diplomatic and military level talks. The aggressive behavior of the Chinese in the Ladakh sector is deeply worrying and puzzling too. All attempts to resolve the issue, including talks between special representatives (SR) Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, held on 5 July, is not yielding fruit. The Chinese are trying to alter the LAC and are making desperate attempts for it. They are trying to capture as much land as possible, so that when the negotiations take place they speak from the advantageous position. There is every possibility that China might use the same tactics in other areas along the LAC, especially in Arunachal. There are several areas which till date do not have proper demarcation. The government of Arunachal and the military posted in the state should remain alert.