1-Aug-2021: Establishment of Hotline between Indian Army and People's Liberation Army(PLA) in North Sikkim

A hotline was established between Indian Army in Kongra La, North Sikkim and PLA at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region to further the spirit of trust and cordial relations along the borders. The event coincided with the PLA Day on 01 Aug 2021.

The Armed forces of the two countries have well established mechanisms for communication at ground commanders level. These hotlines in various sectors go a long way in enhancing the same and maintaining peace and tranquility at the borders.

The inauguration was attended by ground commanders of the respective Armies and a message of friendship and harmony was exchanged through the Hotline.

25-Jan-2021: Joint Press Release of the 9th Round of India-China Military Commander-Level Meeting

On January 24, the 9th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting was held on the Chinese side of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point. The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of China-India border areas.

The two sides agreed that this round of meeting was positive, practical and constructive, which further enhanced mutual trust and understanding. The two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops. They also agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the 10th round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation.

The two sides agreed to continue their effective efforts in ensuring the restraint of the frontline troops, stabilize and control the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the China-India border, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility.  

12-Nov-2020: China begins work on railway up to Arunachal border

China has begun work on a strategically significant railway line - its second major rail link to Tibet - that will link Sichuan province with Nyingchi, which lies near the border with India’s Arunachal Pradesh.

Underlining the special importance that the Chinese government has placed on the project, President Xi Jinping officially “gave the instruction” to begin work on the project and called it “a major step in safeguarding national unity and a significant move in promoting economic and social development of the western region.”

The importance of the project is two-fold. Like the Qinghai-Tibet railway line, which in 2006 connected Lhasa to the hinterland, this will be the second such route linking the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to the hinterland.

Secondly, it will run right up to Nyingchi near the border with India, which it will link to both Lhasa and Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan. The entire line will run from Chengdu to Lhasa, connecting the two capitals of TAR and Sichuan and cutting the journey from 48 hours to 13 hours.

The railway will help transport advanced equipment and technologies from the rest of China to Tibet and bring local products out. If a scenario of a crisis happens at the border, the railway can act as a 'fast track' for the delivery of strategic materials.

The railway is also of great significance in safeguarding national unity and consolidating border stability. As the railway runs near China's southwest border areas, it will largely improve the efficiency and convenience of military personnel and material transportation and logical supplies.

The first segment of the line within Sichuan province, from Chengdu to Yaan, was completed in December 2018. Work on the 1,011 km-section from Yaan to Nyingchi, which was formally launched this week, and will be finished in 2030. The difficulty involved in the construction is rarely seen elsewhere, due to the complex geological and climatic conditions and fragile ecological environment along the railway.

The 435 km section from Nyingchi-Lhasa segment has been under construction since 2015, and will be finished by the end of next year. State media reported as much as 75 per cent of this section consists of 120 bridges and 47 tunnels, with a designated speed of 160 km/h. This includes a 525 metre-long bridge across the Yarlung Zangpo river, as the Brahmaputra is called in Tibet, which has been built at a height of 3,350 metres. This makes it the world's highest concrete-filled steel tube arch railway bridge.

8-Nov-2020: 8th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting

On November 6th, the 8th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held in Chushul. The two sides had a candid, in-depth and constructive exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of India-China border areas. Both sides agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, ensure their frontline troops to exercise restraint and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. Both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels, and, taking forward the discussions at this meeting, push for the settlement of other outstanding issues, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. They also agreed to have another round of meeting soon.

12-Jan-2018: China commissions new missile frigate

A new missile frigate, named Rizhao, was commissioned by the People's Liberation Army Navy in a naval port in China's Dalian.

Rizhao is a 140-metre-long and 16-metre-wide missile frigate designed and made by China. Its displacement is more than 4,000 tonnes.

Launched in April 2017, the missile frigate is equipped with an advanced weapons systems and can attack enemy ships and submarines alone or in coordination with other naval forces.

The frigate was named after the city of Rizhao in Shandong Province.

2-Jan-2018: China develops underwater surveillance networks in Indian Ocean, South China Sea

China has developed a new underwater surveillance network to help its submarines get a stronger lock on targets while protecting the nation’s interests along the maritime Silk Road, which includes the Indian Ocean.

The system, which has already been launched, works by gathering information about the underwater environment, particularly water temperature and salinity, which the navy can then use to more accurately track target vessels as well as improve navigation and positioning.

The project, led by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is part of an unprecedented military expansion fuelled by Beijing’s desire to challenge the United States in the world’s oceans.

The Chinese system is based on a network of platforms — buoys, surface vessels, satellites and underwater gliders — that gather data from the South China Sea, and the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. That information is then streamed to three intelligence centres — in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the southern province of Guangdong, and a joint facility in South Asia — where it is processed and analysed.

In recent years, China has stepped up naval expeditions to the Indian Ocean to fight the pirates in the Gulf of Aden. These expeditions included large naval ships accompanied by submarines. China is silent about the reasons to deploy submarines for anti-piracy operations.

China is also seeking to establish logistic bases in the Indian Ocean, much to the chagrin of India. The first such base was opened by China in Djibouti last year and it acquired the Hambantota port of Sri Lanka on 99 years lease for debt swap and currently developing the Gwadar port in Pakistan as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

China is involved in maritime disputes in the South and East China Seas. It claims almost all of the South China Sea and has also laid claims on the Senkaku islands under the control of Japan in the East China Sea, believed to harbour vast natural resources below their seabed.

The US has been periodically deploying its naval ships and fighter planes in the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation in the disputed areas. While it undoubtedly represented progress in China’s submarine warfare capabilities, it was dwarfed by the systems operated by the U.S. around the world.

For submarines patrolling the sea route, or “road”, element of China’s global trade and infrastructure development plan known as the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, which included the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, the system’s ability to not only measure, but also predict temperature and salinity at any location, any depth and at any time will be invaluable.

Submarines use sonar (sound navigation and ranging) to locate, identify and attack other vessels. As well as improving their targeting ability, the new surveillance system should enable submarines to steer a much safer course through difficult waters.

For the naval forces charged with guarding the maritime Silk Road, there are many adversaries lurking in often hostile waters. Since the Cold War, the U.S. had closely guarded the Western Pacific via “island chains”. Similarly, the South China Sea was circled by many small, “unfriendly” countries involved in territorial disputes with China; while India was wary of Beijing’s growing influence in the region and was consequently trying to tighten its grip on the Indian Ocean. The system can help tip the balance of power in these regions in China’s favour.

According to a study by the Centre for a New American Security and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, by 2030 China will have 260 warships and submarines compared to the US’s 199.

6-Nov-2017: For year-round border security, India plans tunnels on China border

For year-round border security and ensure better connectivity along the entire Line of Actual Control, India is planning to construct tunnels on China border.

Benefits of tunnels:

Land acquisition and forest clearance are relatively easier for tunnels. Tunnels reduce the operational cost of vehicles and reduce the need for deploying troops for security duties in sensitive areas.

They help avoid situations where military posts remain cut off for six months due to snowfall or rain. Furthermore, the Himalayan ranges with its fragile geology has a history of earthquakes, landslides and avalanches.