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Chinese military steps up training along disputed Indian border
- A military spokesman said the People’s Liberation Army recently conducted a ‘record-breaking’ high-altitude drill
- Indian media has reported that Beijing is recruiting local Tibetans to form militia units
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The People’s Liberation Army has conducted more than 100 joint exercises so far this year and has stepped up its training along the disputed border with India, the Chinese defence ministry has said.
Military spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a regular press conference on Thursday that operations had continued despite the Covid-19 pandemic and included a “record-breaking” high-altitude drill involving more than 1,000 troops from 20 units earlier this month.
Ren said the exercise, which included the use of drones and was “aimed at boosting the border troops’ combat capabilities in an extremely cold, tough and risky environment”, was part of the celebrations of the Communist Party’s centenary. He also said that the exercises included both militia units and regular forces to strengthen their combat capabilities.
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The Indian newspaper The Hindu recently reported that the PLA had been training new militia units of Tibetans near Pangong Tso, the site of a deadly clash between Chinese and Indian soldiers last year.
01:25
China-India border clash in June left four PLA troops dead and one injured, report says
China-India border clash in June left four PLA troops dead and one injured, report says
The report said the militia mix hi-tech equipment such as drones and traditional means of transport like horses and mules.
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