Chinese military conducts high-altitude exercise near Indian border: Reports

The exercise took place in recent days in the remote Tibetan Plateau region near the de facto border, known as the Line of Actual Control, state broadcaster CCTV reported over the weekend, reports South China Morning Post.

The series of exercises involved the People’s Liberation Army’s Xinjiang and Tibet military districts as well as the air force under its Western Theatre Command, the newspaper reported.

The training was said to have included some of the PLA’s most powerful howitzers, the latest long-range rocket launchers, and air force bombers, while light tanks were used in assault training on mountainous terrain, read the newspaper.

During the exercises a new multiple rocket launch system that can fire 370mm rockets and drones was used, media reports said.

Meanwhile, India on Thursday said it has taken note of last week's Pentagon report on China having built a large 100-home civilian village inside the disputed territory on the boundary with India, and added that New Delhi has neither accepted such illegal occupation of its territory nor has it accepted the unjustified Chinese claims.

India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, answering media queries on the issue, said the government has always conveyed its strong protest to such activities through diplomatic means and will continue to do so.

He also said that China has been undertaking illegal construction activities on the border areas in the past several years, including in the areas it has illegally occupied over the decades.

He said the government is maintaining a close watch on all developments that have a bearing on India's security and takes all the necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,

He said: “We have taken note of the US Department of Defence’s report to US Congress which also makes reference to construction activities by the Chinese side along the India-China border areas particularly in the Eastern Sector. Reports had also appeared in the media earlier this year on this issue."

“As we had stated then, China has undertaken construction activities in the past several years along the border areas including in the areas that it has illegally occupied over the decades," Bagchi said.

“India has neither accepted such illegal occupation of our territory nor has it accepted the unjustified Chinese claims. The Government has always conveyed its strong protest to such activities through diplomatic means and will continue to do so in the future," the MEA spokesperson said.

“Further, as conveyed earlier the Government has also stepped up border infrastructure including the construction of roads, bridges etc, which has provided much needed connectivity to the local population along the border."

He said, "The Government remains committed to the objective of creating infrastructure along the border areas for the improvement of livelihood of its citizens, including in Arunachal Pradesh."

“Government keeps a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on India's security and takes all the necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the spokesperson added.

The Pentagon, in its China Military Power Report last week to the US Congress, said that despite the ongoing diplomatic and military dialogue between India and China to reduce border tensions, China has “continued taking incremental and tactical actions to press its claims at the LAC”.

It said that in 2020, the “Peoples Republic of China built a large 100-home civilian village inside disputed territory between the PRC’s Tibet Autonomous Region and India’s Arunachal Pradesh state in the eastern sector of the LAC."

"These and other infrastructure development efforts along the India-China border have been a source of consternation in the Indian government and media," the report added.