China’s Violations Could Still Cause Things To Get Worse: Army Chief

General Manoj Pande said on Monday that China’s violations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are still a possible cause of escalation and that the Indian Army is firm and determined in dealing with the PLA Army.

“We have enough money saved up and are ready for any situation.” He said, “Our readiness is still high, and our troops continue to deal with the PLA in a firm, determined, and measured way, all while making sure our claims are true.”

He also said that there are still areas of disagreement and disputed claims to the territory because people have different ideas about how LAC is set up.

During the Second Strategic Dialogue on the rise of China and what it means for the world, held by the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University, the army chief spoke to a group of defense intellectuals and research experts (SPPU).

Concerning the competition between China and the United States, the army chief said, “China’s rise is driven by its regional and global ambitions for a much larger and higher seat at the high table. The fact that China is trying to replace the US as the global provider of internet security is shown by the fact that it is trying to set up peace talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran and has presented a 12-point plan to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which is still going on.

Earlier in the speech, the army chief said, “The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has only added to the turbulence in the landscape.” He also said, “The relevance of hard power has been reaffirmed along with the primacy of the land in determining the victory markers and the imperative to be prepared for the long haul.”

The Army chief, there are mechanisms for engagement at the political, diplomatic, and military levels that are being used in the best way possible to keep things stable along the LAC, and talks are still going on under these mechanisms. “Over the years, China has built up a lot of capabilities for mobilizing forces, putting them to use, and keeping military operations going. As a result of the building of military infrastructure, such as roads, airfields, helipads, and other structures, “he said.