In Arunachal near Tawang area, China siting combine arms brigade

Tawang: Recent commercial satellite images indicate that China may have moved its Combined Arms Brigade (CAB) stationed near the clash site at Lampug to Tsona Dzong during the standoff at Ritang in Lhontse Dzong within months of the incident.
In December last year, Indian forces successfully repelled a Chinese incursion into the Yangtze region of the Tawang sector.
This was credited to better tactics of the Indian troops such as ridge line capture, better preparation, effective intelligence and all-weather deployment at existing outposts in the area.
It is worth noting that the US Department of Defense, in its recent annual report to Congress, emphasized China’s deployment of three light to medium Combined Arms Brigades (CABs) in the eastern sector of the LAC, which would address emerging dynamics. clarifies further. in the area.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday visited the border area of ​​Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh where he performed ‘Shastra Puja’ with soldiers on the occasion of Dussehra, a festival that symbolizes the victory of good over evil. The optics of Singh’s visit to the border area on the occasion of Dussehra are important.
Singh was accompanied by Army Chief General Manoj Pande; General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command Lt. Gen. RP Kalita; GOC, 4 Corps Lt Gen Manish Erry.
The defense minister was also shown some posts of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) visible across the border from Bum La.
India has taken advantage of its strategic advantage along the ridge line and maintains a network of about half a dozen small outposts to counter Chinese incursions.
However, in recent times, China has invested in the development of road networks and new garrisons along the immediate border areas to improve its strategic deployments.
Nevertheless, the permanent or semi-permanent deployment of additional Chinese troops in the region could potentially erode India’s long-held advantages.
On 13 December 2022, the governments of India and China issued separate statements following the alleged clashes three days earlier in the Arunachal Pradesh border region.
In these statements, both sides accused each other of violating the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and subsequently reported disengagement.
However, Rajnath Singh acknowledged the encounter while addressing Parliament, and confirmed that “there was no loss of life or serious loss on our side”. In contrast, the Chinese statement issued on the same day did not mention any clash.
It is important to note that this was not an isolated incident in the region. A similar clash was reported a year ago, with video footage of the incident going viral on social media shortly after the December 2022 clash.
Observers of the Indo-Tibetan border regions point to a larger trend that links to other developments seen in the region, analyzing India Today’s latest images.
“Recent developments show an increased deployment of PLA assets in the eastern border areas of the Indo-Tibetan border regions compared to the pre-Gilwan conflict period, suggesting the changed dynamics of the Indian border in China’s grand strategic calculations.
The construction of a new dual-use airport at Lhontse Dzong, less than 30 miles from the McMahon Line and about 100 kilometers from Tawang, has changed the status quo in the region.
China seems to be increasing its force deployment in the Tibet-Arunachal Pradesh border areas to gain superiority over India in terms of infrastructure, communications and logistics. Monitoring progress on LAC.
Desai has been posting this progress on his X account. “Analyzing the photo, it was observed that the PLA moved some elements of its field camp at Tsona Dzong just opposite the Tawang sector to a relative depth area at Ritang in Lhontse Dzong.
Light CAB’s field camp on the banks of the Nile Chu (Subansiri) also serves as a node for another troubled area along the LAC, the Subansiri Frontier.
Asaphila, and the Tsari Chu valley (of the 1959 Longju incident and recently built a new village in the name of alleged Indian territory) may be the next flashpoints along the eastern sector of the LAC in times to come,” he said.
Recent high-resolution imagery shows that the CAB deployment at Ritang in Lhontse County has been underway for about a year.
China analysts point to Beijing’s broader goals regarding its borders with India. “The constant push towards Arunachal Pradesh is to secure its territorial claims. India legally administers Arunachal Pradesh while China only claims it.
The broader strategy is to secure its land borders with India, as Beijing does not agree with New Delhi’s position on recognizing the ‘McMahon Line’ as the border between China and India,” said Amrita Josh, Dept. says Assistant Professor of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal. Academy of Higher Education and author of The Concept of Active Defense in China’s Military Strategy.
Jaish highlights China’s apparent reluctance to settle the border dispute with India. “For example, in the recent past.
China has accelerated border negotiations with Bhutan by signing a memorandum of understanding on a ‘three-step road map’ and a ‘cooperation agreement’ on October 24.
“However, in India’s case, China has adopted neither the watershed principle with Nepal nor the McMahon Line as with Myanmar and now the MoU with Bhutan – Beijing’s preferred approach to border settlement. gives an example of
But with India, stand-off rather than resolution has become more common,” she told Indiatoday.in.
Referring to the continued stalemate in eastern Ladakh despite 20 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks, he added, “In assessing China’s behavior, the big question to ask is:
Does China want or want to resolve the border dispute with India? There’s not much hope in that.”
Other analysts link these developments directly to Xi Jinping’s policy, reflected in his speech at the 20th Party Congress last year, where he outlined “local “Wars” were emphasized on winning.
“Since then, he has repeatedly called for ‘war preparedness in case of any emergency’. China’s aggressive actions on the LAC should be viewed in this light,” said Omkar Bhole, Senior Research Associate, Organization for Research on China and Asia (ORCA) said.
He added that these developments near Tawang “should not be seen as a response to any specific activity by India but as part of China’s long-term strategy to avoid a two-front war.” “.
Questions have been raised about the recent dismissal of China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu and whether this could cause some setbacks to Xi’s defense strategies.
“Li is a military technology expert and his appointment as defense minister this March revealed Xi’s preference for rapid military modernization.
While this is expected to continue despite high-level personnel changes, the removal of Lee, as well as the dismissal of other PLA officials over the past year, may weaken PLA morale in general.
It won’t be visible in the short term, but it could hamper XI’s long-term plans for the PLA, including the LAC,” Bhole told Indiatoday.in.
While India’s infrastructure development in the border regions continues at its own pace, Chinese experts have called for “non-military initiatives” such as India’s “Dynamic Village” scheme to accelerate infrastructure development near the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and Let’s look at recent border tourism initiatives. These areas are an essential weapon “to strengthen India’s grip on the region”.
“Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh is also likely to be an important sector for which India needs to prepare now during the Dalai Lama’s succession process,” Bhole added.
Meanwhile, Rajnath Singh also visited the 4 Corps headquarters in Assam’s Tezpur on Tuesday. “They were briefed on the development of infrastructure along the LAC and the employment of the latest military equipment and technology to enhance the operational efficiency of troops deployed on the frontline,” a Defense Ministry statement said.