It has been learnt that to stop repeated incursions into Indian Territory by the Chinese troops along the LAC, the Centre last Friday decided to construct 54 new Border out Posts (BoP’s) in Arunachal Pradesh.
For this, Union Home Ministry is reported to have given “go-ahead” to raise 12 new battalions in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which is responsible for guarding the 3,500-odd kilometer long LAC.
To make the Indo-China border more vigilant, Home Ministry is going to induct nearly 12,000 additional personnel in the ITBP force.
Reacting to this, China cautioned India to refrain from taking any action that may "complicate or exaggerate" the boundary issue.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying is learnt to have said to Indian media that China's position on China-India boundary question is consistent and clear.
Beijing was committed to finding a solution "through friendly negotiation as soon as possible" and working together to safeguard peace and tranquility, he remarked.
Hua added that pending the final settlement of the boundary question, Indian side could refrain from taking any action that may complicate or exaggerate the issue.
Earlier, China also objected to India’s plan of constructing a 2000-km road along the boundary from Mago-Thingbu in Tawang to Vijaynagar in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh along the border to match China's infrastructure development.
Soon after, a war-of-words followed between the two neighbouring nations. In response to Beijing’s objections, India shot back at China.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said nobody should "threaten or warn India". "India has grown in strength. Both sides should resolve the border issue through dialogue," he had said.
India started to focus on the development and infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh after Chinese troops resorted to transgressions on a regular basis.
According to media reports, in the last three years, Chinese Army transgressed the border and entered Indian Territory 334 times till August, this year.
The worst-ever incursion occurred last month when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India. Media reported that about 1000 China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops crossed about five km into Indian Territory and reached Ladakh’s Chumur sector along the LAC.
Chinese Army allegedly brought in heavy construction equipment and a large labour force to set up a road up to the border.
Another standoff that went at the same time, in which Chinese nomads have moved about 500 meters into Indian territory in the Demchok area some 60 kilometers east of Chumar, backed up by the PLA.
To combat the worst such incursion in years, India had also sent 1,500 soldiers, leading to an unprecedented face-off at the border.
Soldiers from both the sides were locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation at the border.
After many round of talks and Jinping’s assurance, the Chinese troops retreated.
It may be noted that India and China have so far held 17 rounds of talks since 2003 to resolve the dragging dispute.
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