India, China Broaden Security Cover At LAC Amid Face-off

This month, a bloody clash in the Yangtze at a snow-clad mountain ridge shattered the uneasy calm that had prevailed on the border with China, with hundreds of soldiers deployed for months at high altitudes engaging in a mediaeval brawl involving sticks, stones, and locally crafted tazers.

The incident encapsulates the origins, current state, and dangers of the larger border dispute with China, which began in 2020. And it is a clear indication that sporadic clashes, tension buildup, and the creation of new border flashpoints by an assertive China will be the new normal.

The conflict erupted after nearly 350 Chinese soldiers approached Indian positions with the intention of destroying forward observation posts. China has steadily increased its presence across Indian positions in Tawang over the last year. This has included the construction of new, hardened roads, defensive positions, and the deployment of additional soldiers.

The action was thwarted with the presence of a larger body of Indian troops, with local commanders managing to predict the Chinese assault on the ridge, assisted by enhanced domain awareness thanks to the generous deployment of reconnaissance and surveillance assets on the LAC.

The Yangtze flashpoint follows a model that has emerged at several locations on the disputed border with China. With enhanced connectivity to forward locations and new roads and bridges, Chinese troops have been attempting to assert control over disputed areas that were barely patrolled in the past. This has prompted an Indian reaction of increased troop deployment, the creation of new defences and infrastructure and significant investments in equipment to detect and deter the opposing force.

Yangtze is just one of the eight border flashpoints in Arunachal that have been kept active by the Chinese side. But the problem persists beyond the borders of the northeastern state. Similar flashpoints, where active Chinese provocations continue, are present in Sikkim and the Doklam plateau, Barahoti in Uttarakhand and multiple points of Eastern Ladakh.

The entire Indian Army deployment from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to the eastern tip at Kibithu, which consists of lakhs of troops, is on high alert to monitor and track Chinese moves close to the border. This is in addition to the strong Indian deployment at Siachen glacier, Kargil, along the entire Line of Control (LoC) against Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.

While border talks led to the pulling back of troops at the Hot Springs (Ladakh) flashpoint this year, provocative actions persist at other locations, indicating that enhanced forward deployment of troops at high altitude areas will continue even through the winter months for the foreseeable future.

Before the large-scale clash at Yangtze, smaller altercations and face-offs between opposing patrols took place regularly in Arunachal Pradesh. Only a few of these needed intervention from senior officials, including an incident where military stores were recovered after PLA troops retreated following a minor clash.

On the Ladakh front, the Chinese side carried out a series of provocations with air assets in July, necessitating a strong Indian retort that included night sorties, deployment of frontline fighter jets and enhanced surveillance.

The border provocations are in line with increasingly aggressive military posturing by China in the South China Sea, repeated air violations near disputed islands with Japan and the series of military exercises that encircled Taiwan in August after a visit by US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

As troops stay in for another winter on the Himalayan frontier, it is becoming certain that an uneasy calm, disrupted by sporadic clashes and the creation of fresh border flashpoints will be the new normal. However, the danger of a Yangste-like clash morphing into a larger battle on the border cannot be ruled out, given the strong build-up that both sides have invested in.

Given that India has drawn up its red lines following the deadly Galwan clash in 2020 – PLA troops deemed to be using force to alter the status quo can be subject to firepower if the need arises – the initiative lies with China to either back down, continue minor salami-slicing tactics to keep the border active or be prepared for a larger battle of attrition.