Degree of Standoff Continues Along LAC, Says Army Chief

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday said a "degree of standoff" remains along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in the sensitive Ladakh sector following developments that took place after the border row erupted in April 2020, and the two sides must reach a broader understanding on how to calm the situation down and restore the trust, describing the situation as "stable but sensitive."

- Rahul Singh

He ruled out any plans to cut troop levels along the disputed mountain frontier during the current winter.

"As far as the standoff is concerned, we have to see what all has changed after April 2020. Both sides have doctored the terrain (through deployments and construction), carried out billeting construction and there has been stocking and deployment. This means there is a degree of standoff," Dwivedi said at his annual media briefing ahead of the upcoming Army Day.

Dwivedi's comments, in response to a question on the situation along the LAC, came two-and-a-half months after the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA resumed their patrolling activities in Depsang and Demchok in Ladakh after a gap of almost four-and-a-half years.