China vs India: Army general inspects ‘Fire and Fury’ Corps amid border clash tensions
INDIA has sent an army general to inspect the country's troops battling out the harsh winter in the mountainous region of Ladakh.
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It comes amid tensions between the nation and China after a fatal military clash over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) boundary in June this year. As a result, the two countries have placed troops near the boundary which separates them, with forces bedded in for a harsh winter ahead.
According to Indian news outlet NDTV, both China and India have nearly 50,000 troops each in a ‘high state of combat readiness’.
This is despite ongoing talks between senior military officials on both sides to settle the dispute peacefully.
Yesterday, the Indian Army tweeted a series of photographs documenting a visit by the nation’s General MM Naravane to troops stationed in Ladakh.
There, the general spoke with so-called “Fire and Fury Corps”. The general was met on arrival by Lieutenant General PGK Menon.
The Indian Army said: “General MM Naravane visited forward areas of Fire and Fury Corps including Rechin La and undertook a first-hand assessment of the situation along the LAC.
“He appreciated the efforts made by the formation to make troops comfortable along the LAC.”
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General MM Naravane #COAS visited forward areas of #FireandFury Corps including Rechin La and undertook a first-hand assessment of the situation along the LAC. He was briefed by #GOC #FireandFury Corps and other local commanders on the operational preparedness of our forces. pic.twitter.com/W0xVgMO1Oz
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 23, 2020
The military also claimed the official distributed “sweets and cakes on the eve of Christmas”.
According to reports, General Naravane arrived at around 8:30 in the morning on the visit, which lasted a day.
Last week, officials agreed to another set of negotiations to ease tensions in the region.
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The ninth round is scheduled to take place soon, The Hindu reports.
The last round of talks took place over a month ago on November 6, when both sides furthered plans for what has been called a phased disengagement.
One point of contention in the talks is China’s wish for India to initiate a withdrawal of troops from strategic areas south of Pangong Lake, according to reports.
Meanwhile, the US last month claimed they were involved in “intelligence sharing” with India, regarding the LAC dispute.
General Kenneth Wilsbach, head of the US’ Pacific Air Forces, made the comments at an event in November in which he said the US and India had “gotten closer this year”.
General Wilsbach added: “We’ve been doing quite a bit of intelligence sharing, as much as we can, with them to help out our great friend, India.”
He said the intelligence sharing was “particularly related to the situation that’s occurring on their northeast border with China”, Business Insider reports.
The US and China have been involved in tensions over the South China Sea, in which China asserts controversial territorial claims.
The US has disputed these claims, and has also been sending officials to the island nation of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a ‘breakaway province,’ analysts say.