Indian and Chinese troops clash at disputed border days after US-India joint war games

Both forces sustained minor injuries in the first such skirmish since a deadly incident in June 2020, Indian army said
After clashing in Arunachal Pradesh state, the two sides immediately disengaged and their commanders met to discuss the issue

China-India relations

Khushboo Razdanin New York

Published: 12:56am, 13 Dec 2022

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About 20 Indian soldiers and “a much higher number on the Chinese side” sustained minor injuries as the troops clashed in the highly sensitive Tawang sector of India’s Arunachal Pradesh state, Indian media reported on Monday citing multiple sources in the country’s defence and security establishment.

The Indian army said in a statement that on “December 9, People’s Liberation Army troops contacted the [Line of Actual Control] in Tawang sector”. The encounter led to the Indian troops responding “in a firm and resolute manner”, the statement added, which “led to minor injuries to few personnel from both sides”.

Afterwards, a commander-level flag meeting between the countries took place to “restore peace and tranquillity”, according to the statement.

At least three Indian army units and 600 Chinese soldiers were present at the time of the skirmishes, according to reports.

Neither the Chinese foreign ministry nor the Chinese embassies in New Delhi and Washington immediately responded to a request for comment. The US State Department also has not commented on Friday’s incident.

The incident happened just days after China criticised joint military exercises involving the US and India a mere 100km (60 miles) from its disputed border with India. Beijing called the recent operation a violation of two border agreements signed between China and India in 1993 and 1996.

In response, Elizabeth Jones, the US Charge d’ Affaires in India, said the joint military exercises were “none of their [China’s] business”.

The Line of Actual Control, the 3,200-km de-facto border between the two Asian giants was created after the 1962 Indo-China war. Troops on both sides have adhered to long-standing protocols to refrain from firearms use. Since 2o06, the two countries have patrolled the area up to their claim lines, the Indian army said.

However, tensions in the area have run high since the two sides engaged in deadly fist fights in the Galwan Valley of the Ladakh region near the China-controlled Aksai Chin region of Tibet. In June 2020, at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died.

Last month, Indian Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande said the “situation was stable but unpredictable”. He accused China of not reducing its forces at the LAC despite agreeing to do so in September.

A US Defence Department report to Congress released on November 30 claimed that “throughout the stand-off”, Chinese officials have warned US officials to “not interfere” with China’s relationship with India.

“The PRC seeks to prevent border tensions from causing India to partner more closely with the United States”, the report said.

Amid chill in China ties, India and Taiwan look to ‘deeply engage’

As China’s military and economic clout have grown, India has aligned more closely with Washington and its allies, despite a wary regard for the US for decades.

India is part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, an alliance with the US, Japan and Australia. Originally formed in 2004, the Quad remained dormant until 2017 when then-US president Donald Trump resurrected it as a group of democracies against an “autocratic” China. President Joe Biden has championed the alliance as part of his Indo-Pacific strategy.

Yet Sushant Singh of the New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Policy Research said India had “so far eschewed any security-centric step with the Quad that could provoke Beijing, but murmurs from its partners about reticent Indian policy are bound to get louder”.

Arunachal Pradesh, located on India’s eastern tip, is claimed in its entirety by China. The state shares historical ties with Tibet and is home to the Tawang Monastery where the sixth Dalai Lama was born in 1683.

“As questions arise over the succession of the current Dalai Lama, who is 87 years old, Chinese sensitivities about Tawang will intensify, even more so when linked to its internal security problems in Tibet,” said Singh. “In the coming years, it is likely to become a higher priority for China.”

Additional reporting by Reuters