No increase in deployment of forces on China-India border: Army

The Army on Friday said there was no increase in deployment of security forces on the Sino-Indian border from either sides.

New Delhi: The Army on Friday said there was no
increase in deployment of security forces on the Sino-Indian
border from either sides.

"Force deployment on both the sides of the Sino-Indian
borders has not increased. The force deployment is exactly the
same as has been there for a large number of years," Army
Chief General V K Singh told reporters here.
However, he said there has been an increase in
infrastructure development on the either sides of the
boundary.

"It is not one-sided. There are developments on the other
side. Similarly, for our own developmental purposes and for
ensuring that we can reach our remote areas, infrastructure
development is taking place," he said replying to questions on
the India-China boundary, particularly in Ladakh.

On the recent reports of intrusions by the Chinese troops
in Demchok region of Ladakh, Singh said Chinese patrols had
come upto the area which they perceive belongs to them.

"In this region, the Chinese patrols go upto their
perceived region and our patrols go upto the our perceived
region," he said.

"When our patrols go to our perceived region, you do not
report because they are our patrols. But, when their patrols
come, you report that an incursion or transgression has taken
place," Singh said.

The General the "transgressions" occur because the Line
of Actual Control between India and China was not demarcated
on the ground.
He said the "perceived transgressions" were at times
played up. "On the recent incident, their patrols have not
come on motorcycles or helicopters. They were on the other
side of their perceived area," he said.

He said the areas where there is a dispute over the
boundary were known the Ministry of External Affairs and the
Army.

"We do not forsee any problems as there are confidence
building measures in place. There are periodic flag meetings
that take place. There is a hotline existing at the local
level. Whenever there is a problem, it is conveyed to the
other side and the required commanders meet on ground to
resolve it," Singh said.

To a question on resuming joint military exercises with
China, the General said he would not comment on it as the
matter was in the diplomatic domain.

"I really won`t be able to comment on it for the simple
reason that a call has to be taken by the Ministry of External
Affairs as to how they look at our relations with China,"
Singh said.

"So far as we are concerned, there is a great amount of
inter-agency cooperation. We are part of this. So, whatever is
decided as an overall policy, we are a part of it," Singh
said.

PTI

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