Highlights
Arunachal Pradesh/ March 21, 2024: According to a new report citing US intelligence sources, a previously unreported act of intelligence-sharing between the US and India last December allowed the Indian Army to thwart a Chinese incursion in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. A US media reported that the American government provided real-time satellite reports on the Chinese formations and strength at the LAC to their Indian ally, before the attempted incursion by the PLA.
A Clash between Indian and Chinese Troops
The Chinese PLA were dumbstruck when they saw the battle-ready Indian troops, who were eagerly waiting for the Chinese. The clash took place in Yangtse in the Tawang sector, in which OSINT (open source intelligence) reported more than 300 Chinese PLA troops tried to venture into the Indian territory of the LAC. And were met with a surprise counter-offense from the Indian side, who managed to cause serious injuries leading up to the Chinese retreat. The Indian side suffered only minor injuries and was shifted to a base hospital in the neighboring state of Assam according to a defense spokesperson.
The Indian Army in their statement added that both sides disengaged immediately, after which a flag meeting was held between both countries to discuss the problem using structured methods to restore peace and harmony in the region.
Sources of US Intelligence
According to US intelligence sources, the incident was “a test case” for the success of military-to-military information sharing between two nations. The information shared, included actionable satellite imagery that was far more detailed and delivered faster than anything the United States had previously shared with the Indian military.
Military ties between India and the US have grown considerably in recent years. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III told the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his visit last year, that the United States and India were both taking significant steps to deepen their defense cooperation.
Chinese PLA crosses the border in the Tawang sector
On December 9, nine days after China sanctimoniously asked India to adhere to bilateral border agreements and maintain peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control while continuing to oppose the India-US military exercises in Uttarakhand’s Auli, the aggressive PLA shifted its objectives yet again and crossed the border in Tawang sector. Despite infrastructure challenges in the area, the Indian Army responded swiftly, but not before both parties were injured in the following brawl.
Even though the aggressive Chinese soldiers returned to their original positions after the scuffle, the incident is only a pinprick in the decades of border tension, the Narendra Modi government’s offense taught many important lessons in handling the Chinese pressure. The Chinese are uninterested in solving the border issue, and would rather use military force to gain new territory all along the Line of Actual Control to hinder India’s rise into a possible World Superpower.
Chinese territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet
On one side, the Chinese are peddling an imaginary cardinal line drawn by their former premier Chou En Lai back in 1959, as a mechanism to capture and expand their territory. While on the other side, they believe that Arunachal Pradesh is part of Tibet which is illegally occupied by the Chinese. Hence, trying to state their claim over Arunachal. Chinese claims that are unsupported often come after putting Mao Zedong on a pedestal.
Those in India who claim that if India stays within the Chinese-defined borders, China will not continue to escalate the border problem are completely misguided. The Tawang incursion indicates that China will continue to shift its focus as per its short to long-term objectives for absolute Chinese influence over Tibet.
Read More: India-China Border is Stable but Unpredictable, says Army Chief
US Reports: US recognizes McMahon Line as China-India border.
