A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the G-20 summit in Antalay, Turkey, the Indian Army reported a transgression by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at Chushul in Jammu and Kashmir’s Leh district.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is now on a six-day visit to China.
A senior official said members of the PLA entered into Indian territory on November 14 and were reportedly shown banners to go back. Though transgressions by the Chinese are not uncommon along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), what worries the agencies is the spike in such incidents whenever an important event involving the two countries is under way.
Last year, when Mr. Xi was on an official visit here, Indian security personnel and the Chinese PLA were engaged in a face-off in Chumar sector of Leh district. The stand-off continued for three days with India sending extra personnel to push back the Chinese.
As for the November 14 incident, a senior official said a Chinese PLA team in a light armoured vehicle was seen patrolling on the Indian side of the LAC in Chushul and it was immediately asked to go back. As soon as the team came to the Indian side, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force, which is the first line of defence and the Army personnel asked it to return. Mr. Modi met Mr. Jinping along with three other BRICS leaders before the G20 summit began on November 16.
On an average around 400 incidents of what India refers to as “transgressions” occur along the LAC in a year.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, before leaving on his visit to China, said, “I'm looking forward to my visit. Hope it would help in deepening of mutual understanding and trust. I intend to further strengthen the tradition of mutual learning and better understanding from each other.”
Mr. Singh will call on Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and hold bilateral talks with Guo Shengkun, State Councillor and Minister, Ministry of Public Security in Beijing.
He will also visit a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit besides a local police station on Friday.
The Home Minister will leave Beijing for Shanghai on Saturday. There he will visit the city’s Command and Control Centre on Monday.
