"Peace" In Border With China After Summit, Says Army Chief

The situation along the nearly 4,000-km long border between India and China has improved following the summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan last year, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said Thursday.

He said certain "directives" were issued to various formations along the border following the Wuhan summit and they are being followed.

"We have been able to maintain peace and tranquillity along the Chinese border, particularly after the Wuhan summit. Common directions were issued and they are being followed," he said addressing a press conference ahead of Army Day on January 15.

At the same time, he made it clear that the same policy is being followed in protecting the border with Pakistan as well as with China, indicating that the Indian Army was not lowering its guard along the Chinese frontier.

"It is not that different policies are being followed for Northern and Western border," he said.
"I would say that with the northern border, we have been able to maintain the kind of peace and tranquillity that we wished," he added.

General Rawat said there have been regular interactions between the Indian Army and the Peoples Liberation Army as part of confidence building measures.

In their informal summit in Chinese city of Wuhan in April last year, PM Modi and Xi Jinping decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications so that they can build trust and understanding.

The informal summit had taken place seven months after the Doklam standoff.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day face-off in Doklam from June 16, 2017, after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The impasse ended on August 28.

As concerns mounted over Chinese infrastructure build-up in Tibet Autonomous Region and near Doklam tri-junction, the government is also expediting implementation of pending projects like laying of roads, construction of bridges, strengthening of key military airfields and enhancing surveillance along the nearly 3,600-km Sino-India border.

General Rawat said India is also developing required infrastructure along the Sino-India border.