DISENGAGED IN ‘MOST LOCATIONS’: CHINA; INDIAN ARMY OFFICERS SAY KEY AREAS STILL PENDING

INDIAN SURVEILLANCE India is keeping tabs on China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea and taking steps to ensure that the Chinese navy doesn’t muscle its way into the Indian Ocean, where combat-ready Indian warships are carrying out round-the-clock surveillance. The navy recently conducted joint drills with a US Navy carrier strike group, led by USS Nimitz, and Indian and Japanese warships have carried out exercises in the Indian Ocean

MALACCA DILEMMA This refers to China’s apprehension of naval powers controlling the Malacca Strait. A significant volume of China’s oil imports pass through the strait connecting the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea

“It is inevitable that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-navy (PLAN) will come to IOR if China wants to become a global power. They are opening multiple routes to the Indian Ocean...” – A top Indian Navy officer

BEIJING/NEW DELHI: Indian and Chinese front-line troops have completed disengagement at most locations on the border, China said on Tuesday — a statement Indian Army officers said that did not reflect the ground reality.

On whether Indian and Chinese soldiers had completed disengagement at Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and Gogra areas, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said disengagement was completed in “most locations”.

The Indian Navy has conducted drills with a US Navy carrier strike group.

PTI EYE ON CHINA The multiple routes that China could be looking at to enter the Indian Ocean are further south of Malacca and include the Sunda, Lombok, Ombai and Wetar straits

But Indian Army officers said the locations did not really cover the key areas of conflict.

“...at ’most locations’ reveals there are locations where the process hasn’t made significant progress,” an officer said.