Military lessons from the stand-Off On LAC

India must work towards rebuilding deterrence against China's military coercion

- Deependra Sngh Hooda

On October 21, India's foreign secretary announced that diplomatic and military talks had resulted in an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in 2020. This was followed by a series of high-level engagements over the last month between Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the foreign and defence ministers of India and China.

Despite the steps towards normalising ties, the reasons behind China's incursions along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh in 2020 remain unclear. Various explanations have been offered. Some attribute the actions to China's concerns over India's accelerated infrastructure development near the border.

Others suggest that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) exploited the unsettled nature of the LAC to enforce its territorial claims. Some experts view the incursions as a signal from Beijing to New Delhi to avoid aligning too closely with the United States in its China-containment agenda. China's actions are also seen as an attempt to assert regional dominance and challenge India's growing influence.