Tag: Ladakh

Indian, Chinese troops completed disengagement at most locations: China
14Aug By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Indian, Chinese troops completed disengagement at most locations: China

After being in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Chinese government has said that Indian and Chinese frontline troops have completed disengagement at most locations and that preparations are underway to hold the next round of military-level talks."Chinese and Indian border troops on the frontline have disengaged in most locations. The 5th round of commander-level talks is currently under preparation to resolve the remaining issues," Chinese state media Global Times quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin as saying.Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control since May.On July 24, India and China had held the 17th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) and agreed that early and c...
Read More
A year after Article 370, Kashmir valley voter turnout a big number to watch
12Aug By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia, Opinion

A year after Article 370, Kashmir valley voter turnout a big number to watch

Last year, on August 5, the Narendra Modi government in the Center effectively revoked Article 370 that conferred special status on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and bifurcated the state into two Union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.Now, a year has passed and still there is little convergence of views on the move. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to assert that the decision was in the interest of Kashmir and the nation at large, mainstream political actors in Kashmir continue to oppose it.In an opinion piece, former chief minister Omar Abdullah wrote that unless the central government restores statehood to J&K, he will not participate in elections.In making this threat, Abdullah is raising a metric which has often been seen as the most important measure of de
Read More
The coming India–China conflict and a higher calling for India
2Aug By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Conflict, Opinion

The coming India–China conflict and a higher calling for India

On July 3, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the border region of Ladakh for the first time since Chinese troops killed 20 Indian soldiers in the Galvan Valley on June 15. And judging by China’s official reaction, the Communist Party didn’t see Modi’s response coming.Modi showed support for his troops, and also tapped into the growing anti-China sentiment that has been provoked by Beijing’s coronavirus-era brazenness. His visit placed the fighting in Ladakh in the broader context of China’s global expansionism. Speaking in Leh, Modi directly admonished Beijing for its expansionist policies.“The age of expansionism is over, this is the age of development,” he said. “History knows that expansionist forces have either lost or were forced to turn back.”Instead of calling out China’s
Read More
Pompeo slams Chinese for bullying its neighbors in Himalayas
31Jul By Grace TsoiNo Comments
World

Pompeo slams Chinese for bullying its neighbors in Himalayas

In a scathing attack against China, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged "the entire world" to stand up to Beijing and slammed the Chinese leadership over the “cover-up” of the COVID-19 crisis, saying Beijing’s "exploitation of this disaster to further its own interest has been disgraceful".In a reference to India-China border standoff, Pompeo accused Beijing of bullying its neighbors and accused it of instigating a deadly confrontation with New Delhi in eastern Ladakh."We think that the entire world needs to work together to ensure that every country, including China, behaves in the international system in ways that are appropriate and consistent with the international order. You cannot go make claims for maritime regions that you have no lawful claim to. You cannot threaten countries
Read More
Indian government believes deadly skirmish along LAC was part of a larger plan by China
25Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Indian government believes deadly skirmish along LAC was part of a larger plan by China

According to a collection of analysis papers that Indian officials say represent their government's assessment of China's behavior, the Indian government believes a deadly skirmish between its military and Chinese troops in contested part of the Himalayas portends a broader campaign by Beijing to envelop the South Asian power with its military and economic influence.The recent clash in the Galwan River Valley, where both sides had inserted military forces in support of their own territorial claims, represents a nefarious and protracted effort by Beijing, says the document.The Indian government links the latest encounter in Ladakh to what it describes as Beijing's sweeping imperialist designs.Its expansionism "eschews direct military action but resorts to coercive diplomacy by penetrating a...
Read More
Under pressure, expansionist China begins to wilt
23Jul By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Opinion

Under pressure, expansionist China begins to wilt

China’s has brazenly challenged Japan in the East China Sea, grabbed territory in the South China Sea, laid claims to Indonesian islands 1500 kms away and encroached upon territory in eastern Ladakh. It has repeatedly threatened Taiwan with invasion, throttled democratic rights in Hong Kong, and threatened Australia with economic retribution and cyber-attacks.For the first time, the Quad, in a concrete show of solidarity, reacted with alacrity to the Dragon’s unethical and premeditated expansionist agenda.The US dispatched two modern aircraft carrier battle groups to the SCS area. It agreed to supply more sophisticated weapons and equipment to Taiwan. In continuation of the reciprocal trade war, the US raised the stakes for the Chinese by taking effective steps at ‘de-coupling’ in sensitiv
Read More
After Galwan backlash, China beats peace drum
20Jul By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Opinion

After Galwan backlash, China beats peace drum

It seems China is trying to discover the virtues of peace after its actions in Galwan valley. Recently, Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong, in a videographed message, proffered pastoral nuggets of diplomatic wisdom - trust and cooperation between the two countries, the need to move forward and to build on what has been achieved over the last 70 years. Although that’s fine, he missed the point that the unprecedented violence in Ladakh flows from China’s pattern of behaviour over many decades.If we break down his message, he said, “Suspicion and friction is the wrong path. We need mutual respect, treat each other as equals, be open and inclusive.” The ambassador is clearly putting the onus on India for the “suspicion and friction”. It suits his narrative to overlook China’s behaviour pa
Read More
Indians have done their best to respond China’s aggressive actions: Pompeo on India-China border tension
19Jul By Grace TsoiNo Comments
World

Indians have done their best to respond China’s aggressive actions: Pompeo on India-China border tension

US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has hit out at China saying they took "incredibly aggressive action" in a recent clash with India over disputed borders.On the night of June 15, Chinese forces and Indian troops got caught in a bloody fight with rods and clubs, leading to the death of 20 Indian soldiers, with some falling to their deaths in the waters of the Galwan River in the western Himalayas.Pompeo said that he has spoken to External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar several time about it."I have spoken with Foreign Minister Jaishankar a number of times about this. The Chinese took incredibly aggressive action. The Indians have done their best to respond to that," Pompeo said.The US Secretary of State also criticized "General Secretary" Xi Jinping and said that the number of both ma...
Read More
Indian government should make Tibet one of the key issues in its policies on China: Lobsang Sangay
15Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Indian government should make Tibet one of the key issues in its policies on China: Lobsang Sangay

In view of the current situation between India and China, President of the Tibetan government in exile Lobsang Sangay has said that the Indian government should make Tibet one of the core issues in its policies due to its “historical, geopolitical, cultural and ecological” significance.“The issue of Tibet is at the core of ongoing India’s border tensions with China. It was only after Chinese illegal occupation of Tibet in 1959 that India and China came to share the now-disputed border,” said Sangay while explaining the significance of Tibet in the Sino-Indian boundary dispute.He further explained Chairman Mao Zedong’s expansionist strategy from the 1950s and said that   China’s aggression along the border in 2020 “is the continuation of its strategy from Mao Zedong’s time to occupy Tibet a
Read More
China under Xi stepped up “aggressive” foreign policy towards India: Report
14Jul By Grace TsoiNo Comments
World

China under Xi stepped up “aggressive” foreign policy towards India: Report

A recent report released by a US Congress appointed commission has said that under President Xi Jinping, China stepped up its "aggressive" foreign policy toward India and "resisted" efforts to clarify the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that prevented a lasting peace from being realized.“Under General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping, Beijing has stepped up its aggressive foreign policy toward New Delhi. Since 2013, China has engaged in five major altercations with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” said a brief issued by US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.The armies of India and China have been locked in a standoff at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh since May, and the tension escalated after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent c
Read More