Chinese troops intruded into Arunachal with road-building machines

IT IS LEARNT THAT THE INCURSION TOOK PLACE AROUND A WEEK TO 10 DAYS AGO

GUWAHATI/NEWDELHI: Chinese soldiers with road-building machines crossed up to 200 metres into Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh in late December, almost reaching a border village in the Upper Siang district before Indian troops stopped them, locals in the border state said.

People in the security establishment confirmed the development to Hindustan Times on Tuesday.

China’s latest incursion, which comes four months after the two nuclear-armed neighbours ended a tense border standoff at Doklam, a largely uninhabited plateau near the strategic India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, is a rare one for this time of the year. The Chinese rarely launch incursions in winter.

One of the people in the security establishment said that there is “no face-off now” but that the “Chinese have left their road construction material on the site”.

“The Chinese have increased their road construction activities in the area in the recent past,” added this person, who asked not to be identified.

Locals say Indian security personnel intercepted the Chinese troops near Bising village (under Tuting subdivision), along the eastern bank of Siang river.

According to them, Indian soldiers confronted their Chinese counterparts and seized their road construction machines including two excavators.

Some of the locals said they are not being allowed to go beyond Geling village, the next administrative circle after Tuting town and towards the border with China.

HT has learnt that the incursion took place around a week to 10 days ago, almost coinciding with a meeting of the special representatives of India and China in New Delhi.