‘Prolonged impasse can lead to high economic costs’ BHADAURIA VISITS EASTERN COMMAND
New Delhi, Sept. There is a considerable deployment of Indian and Chinese troops on both sides of the border and a continuing standoff during the winter season may lead to high economic costs and a “fairly prolonged impasse”, former foreign secretary Shyam Saran said on Thursday.
The comments came amid the Ministry of External Affairs saying on Thursday that the situation witnessed in the border areas in eastern Ladakh over the past four months is a “direct result” of actions taken by China aimed at effecting unilateral change in the status quo of the region.
In an interview with Karan Thapar for news website The Wire, Saran said, “The Chinese have suggested that the process of disengagement is complete — as if nothing more needs to be done. There does not seem to be any intention, for example, to vacate some of the additional areas which they have occupied in the Pangong lake area...”
Saran also said, “My sense is, if this, for example, continues during the winter — which would be very difficult because this area is very inhospitable during winter it would require a considerable investment in setting up heated dwelling units, making certain you have enough equipment for use during very very severe winters.”
“If that is going to happen then I imagine that there will be a fairly prolonged impasse between them,” he added.
Saran also said he believes India imposing serious economic costs on China may not work.
Noting that India is the fastest-growing market for several Chinese companies, he said the question to ask is whether the fortunes of these Chinese companies are important enough to the government to moderate their position with regard to the territorial issue.
India and China have held several rounds of
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New Delhi, Sept. 3: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria reviewed the IAF’s operational preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in view of the escalating border tensions with China, officials said on Thursday.
“Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria visited frontline air bases in Eastern Air Command (EAC) on Wednesday,” an IAF spokesperson said without mentioning the names of the air bases.
The Eastern Air Command, headquartered in Shillong, looks after the aerial defence of sensitive areas along the LAC in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh as well as various other parts of the region.
The Army and the Indian Air Force have increased their alert levels in all key bases along the nearly 3,400 km-long LAC following China’s fresh attempts to change the status quo in the Southern Bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.
The IAF spokesperson said the Chief of Air Staff was apprised about the “state of readiness” and operational preparedness of the combat units under the command.
“Bhadauria also met and interacted with air warriors serving in these units during the course of his visit. He lauded the focussed efforts by the station personnel towards maintaining proficiency in all roles envisaged and urged them to continue performing their duty with due diligence,” the official said. military and diplomatic talks in the last two-andhalf months amid a border standoff in the eastern Ladakh area.