India moving 35,000 more troops to disputed China border in Himalayas amid heightened tensions
- Both countries have rushed thousands of soldiers, artillery guns and tanks to the region since deadly clashes last month
- ‘Additional troops rushed by either side will not move back, unless there is a rapprochement at the highest political level,’ analyst said
The move would change the status quo along the contested 3,488km Line of Actual Control and stretch the nation’s already tight military budget, senior Indian officials said, asking not to be identified citing rules on speaking to the media.
“The nature of the Line of Control, at least in Ladakh, has changed forever,” the director of Delhi-based think-tank The United Service Institution of India and retired major general, B K Sharma said. “Additional troops rushed by either side will not move back, unless there is a rapprochement at the highest political level.”
For now, the skirmishes have stopped. And after several rounds of high level military talks, Beijing said troops were disengaging in most locations.
“Currently the two sides are actively preparing for the fifth round of commander-level talks to resolve outstanding issues on the ground,” China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. “We hope the Indian side will work towards the same goal with China, implement the two sides’ consensus and jointly uphold peace and tranquillity along the border.”
The Indian Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment.