News Report: India’s New Combat Intelligence Service to Track Activities in Nepal, Bhutan

The Indian government had been receiving inputs of an increased presence of Chinese and Pakistani spies in Nepal and Bhutan who could foment trouble in India with the help of local elements in those countries.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India’s armed border force, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), has operationalized its new intelligence unit to track the activities of China and Pakistan along its visa-free stretches of Nepal and Bhutan. The combat-ready intelligence wing has 650 trained field agents and other staff members who will gather actionable information.

Due to centuries-old cultural and economic linkages among peoples across the border, the Indian government has been in agreement with Nepal and Bhutan to allow visa-free trans-border movement of people across the frontier areas that mainly comprise densely populated foothills and plains as well as thick jungles, underdeveloped regions and inhospitable terrains, making it easy for criminals and rogue entities to move freely in the areas.

“There is trans-border movement of criminals and anti-national elements which pose a major challenge on the border in the context of the visa-free regime,” a senior official of the SSB said.

News Report: Army Chief - India Must Be Ready for War on 2 Fronts

India’s army chief has warned the nation to be prepared for a possible two-front war — with China and Pakistan — at the same time.

General Bipin Rawat warned China would continue its efforts to “nibble away” at India’s territory, as it did during a recent standoff in the Himalayas that ended last week. He said more incidents like the standoff at Doklam plateau in Bhutan could lead to a larger conflict on India’s northern border.

If that were to happen, Rawat warned, it is possible Pakistan would seize the opportunity to strike its arch nemesis from the west.

“We have to be prepared for conflict on the northern and western borders,” he said.

“As far as our western adversary is considered,” he said in reference to Pakistan, “we don’t see any scope of reconciliation because their military, the polity, and the people in that nation have been made to believe that India wants to break their country into pieces.”

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since both nations gained independence from Britain 70 years ago. India and China have also fought once since then.

All three nations are nuclear powers, but Rawat said that will not necessarily be a deterrent.

“Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence. Yes, they are. But to say that they can deter war or they will not allow nations to go to war, in our context that may also not be true,’’ he said.

Rawat made the comments at a seminar organized by the Center for Land Warfare Studies, a New Delhi-based think tank.

This story first appeared on Voice of America & is reposted here with permission.

News Report: India to Purchase Modern Observation Systems to Monitor Chinese Activities

Indo-China Border map (Click Image to Enlarge)

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) purchase advanced long-range reconnaissance and observation systems (LORROS) to strengthen vigilance.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Notwithstanding talks of peace and tranquility along the 2,167 mile-long border with China, India is leaving no stone unturned to ensure operational preparedness of its forces at the border. The latest in the series of purchases intended for the forces guarding the eastern border is the advanced long-range reconnaissance and observation systems (LORROS). A tender for an initial order of two LORROS has been issued.

The intended LORROS equipped with a thermal imager will be able to detect the human at a minimum range of 10 kilometers and vehicles at a minimum distance of 20 kilometers. "The LORROS must be a rapidly deployable compact surveillance system, modular in design, portable and be tripod and mast mounted," the tender document read. The system can be installed on the ground, on vehicles or on watch towers. The specification indicates the two LORROS will be deployed in the region of temperature up to minus 40 degree Celsius and height of 5,000 meters above mean sea level.

News Report: Here to Stay - Standoff Ends, but China to Maintain Military Presence in Doklam

The high-altitude standoff between China and India on the Doklam Plateau may have come to an end, but the military buildup in the region will continue. The Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that they would beef up patrols and garrisons in Doklam to "safeguard national sovereignty and security."

The Doklam Plateau went from a remote, virtually-uninhabited mountain range along the disputed border of China and Bhutan to one of the most important geopolitical sites in the world overnight, when on June 16 Chinese soldiers and construction workers arrived to build a road through the plateau.

India rushed to defend their ally Bhutan's territorial claim, and years of tensions between the two most populous nations in the world suddenly exploded. Both sides talked tough, threatening and insulting one another for 10 tense weeks, even expressing a desire to go to war at times — and then on August 28, both sides pulled back with barely a comment.

News Report: End of Border Standoff with China Satisfies India, but It Will Not Lower its Guard

Anjana Pasricha

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to China for a summit of emerging nations starting Sunday, there is a sense of quiet satisfaction in New Delhi at the resolution of their most serious border confrontation in decades in a disputed Himalayan plateau.

Strategic road

For now it appears China has abandoned plans to build a contentious road on the high mountain junction lying between India, Bhutan and China that sparked the standoff between the two countries.

Indian officials maintain that China has withdrawn its bulldozers and road construction equipment.

Beijing has sidestepped the issue, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying saying it will take into consideration factors such as weather “to make relevant construction plans in accordance with the situation on the ground.”

It was in mid-June that Indian troops moved into the Doklam Plateau to obstruct China from building a road in the Himalayan junction disputed between Bhutan and Beijing. That led an infuriated China to accuse Indian troops of trespassing into territory to which it had no claim and demand their withdrawal.

India in turn said the status quo should be restored. It says that has happened as soldiers from both sides have pulled back.

China has announced that its troops will patrol the region, but New Delhi says that happened in the past also.

News Report: Growing Commerce With India Gives Vietnam New Defense Against China

Ralph Jennings

HO CHI MINH — A flood of Indian business in fast-growing Vietnam has solidified commercial ties to help Hanoi upgrade an alliance with a powerful Asian neighbor and offset dependence on its historic rival, the more massive China.

Indian investment in Vietnam has reached $2 billion and bilateral trade hit $10 billion over the year ending in March on its way to $15 billion by 2020, said Radha Krishnan, vice chairman of the Indian Business Chamber of Vietnam.

"As of now that is very easily achievable," Krishnan said. "The last three ... years exports from Vietnam to India have picked up momentum."

News Story: China, India, Pakistan face fallout from US strategy for Afghanistan

By: Aaron Mehta

WASHINGTON — In rolling out his strategy for Afghanistan on Aug. 21, U.S. President Donald Trump made clear that a change in the relationship with Pakistan is in the cards.

But regional experts warn that any change in Washington’s posture to Islamabad will impact two regional powers — China, America’s greatest rival in the Pacific, and India, an increasingly vital ally — that are currently feuding over a border dispute.

Alice Hunt Friend, an Obama-era senior adviser to the deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces and country director for Pakistan, calls the region “a conundrum,” adding, “This is a Gordian Knot,” in part, because of the necessity to factor in China and India for any big picture strategy.

One attention-grabbing facet of Trump’s speech was a public call for India to take on a broader role in Afghanistan.

“We appreciate India’s important contributions to stability in Afghanistan, but India makes billions of dollars in trade with the United States, and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan, especially in the area of economic assistance and development,” Trump said.

Friend, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, believes that such a call could, to Pakistan, sound like a threat to their longtime goal of “strategic depth” — essentially the idea that Pakistan cannot let itself be encircled by India in the south and an Indian-affiliated government in Afghanistan to the north.

The U.S. has historically been careful about balancing a desire for more Indian support in Afghanistan with Pakistan’s concerns, she said, which resulted in Indian funds being directed more towards economic and public development rather than military projects.

It’s unclear if that is set to change, but Trump’s India comments will likely not be received well in Islamabad, Vipin Narang, a regional expert who teaches at MIT, predicts.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India, China Agree to Pull Back Troops From Disputed Border Area

India and China have reached an agreement to end the most serious confrontation in decades between the Asian giants along a disputed border in the eastern Himalayas.

A brief statement by India’s foreign ministry on Monday said the decision follows diplomatic communications between the two countries. “On this basis, expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam has been agreed to and is on-going,” the ministry said.

The foreign ministry in Beijing said Chinese soldiers will continue to patrol the area. According to Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, “China will continue to exercise sovereignty rights to protect territorial sovereignty in accordance with the rules of the historical boundary.”

The announcement comes days before Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to China for the summit of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations scheduled to be held next week. The two sides were under pressure to find a solution before that visit.

The standoff over the strategic Doklam plateau in the eastern Himalayas had dragged on for two and a half months, much longer than previous border flare-ups that have erupted along their 3,500 kilometer border, parts of which are still disputed.

News Report: China Accuses India of Unleashing Chaos; Demands Troops Withdrawal From Doklam

Indian experts say Chinese foreign ministry statement is “unfortunate”, “particularly after India indicated that is ready to discuss every issue related to the Doklam standoff.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — China has said that India's engagement in Doklam defies all logic and it should unilaterally withdraw troops from the region before the two sides can talk.

"All hell will break loose, if China follows India's logic and enters the Indian territory to disrupt construction projects along the line of actual control (LaC) that Beijing perceives as a security threat," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

"If we tolerate India's ridiculous logic, then anyone who dislikes the activity at his neighbor's home can break into his neighbor's house. Does that mean when China thinks that large-scale construction of infrastructure in the border area is posing a threat, it can enter India's territory? Wouldn't that be utter chaos?" The Hindustan Times quotes her as saying.

News Report: The Doklam Gambit: How China Lured India into a ‘Diplomatic Trap’

An analyst have suggested that the Chinese and Indian stand-off over the disputed Doklam Plateau may be a Chinese gambit to drive a wedge between India and its smaller ally Bhutan, who has a competing claim on Doklam with Beijing.

According to them, China's sudden move into Doklam to build a road in disputed territory with Bhutan was a clear provocation, but one that was not done needlessly. The border dispute may be between China and Bhutan, but it isn't Bhutanese troops facing off with the People's Liberation Army — it's Indian troops instead. Bhutan's tiny military, which has no Air Force and relies on the Indian Army for training, could not hope to stand up against the might of Beijing. Thus, New Delhi came to their ally's defense.

There's only one problem with India's narrative: their troops are outside of Indian soil. India has no claim to Doklam, which means they have either occupied Bhutan or invaded China, depending on how the dispute shakes out. Neither reflects well on New Delhi.

This has led to the theory that China purposefully provoked India in Doklam to drive a wedge between them and Bhutan. The Land of the Thunder Dragon was never part of the British Raj, but it was once an Indian protectorate and maintains close ties to them. In recent years it has become more eager to increase its independence and be seen as a fully-fledged nation.

News Report: India Expects China to Break Deadlock on Doklam

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to discuss the crisis with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit to be held in September in Xiamen, China.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Weeks before BRICS summit in Xiamen, India has termed Doklam stand-off as a ‘deadlock' but at the same time has expressed confidence that it would be resolved soon.

"There will be a solution very soon and I am sure China will make a positive move," Rajnath Singh, India's Minister of Home Affairs said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao has reported that Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has held a military drill to "strike awe in India". 

News Report: Doklam Standoff - Japan Backs India’s Support of Bhutan

Lending a major shot in the arm for India’s position on Doklam, Japan has said that it recognizes there is a territorial dispute between China and Bhutan over the area but India’s involvement is justified as it is based on bilateral agreements with Bhutan.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The Japanese Embassy has conveyed to New Delhi that the country is closely monitoring the Doklam standoff and is of the view that no country should make an attempt to unilaterally change status quo by force but to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner.

"We recognize Doklam is a disputed area between Bhutan and China and the two countries are engaged in border talks. We also understand that India has a treaty understanding with Bhutan, that's why Indian troops got involved in the area," Japanese Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu told the media.

Japan's backing of India is significant as it is the first time a major power has come out openly in support of India. The US has maintained equidistance by saying that both India and China should sit and talk on the issue, while taking measures to de-escalate troops build-up.

News Report: India-China Flag Meeting Inconclusive; Beijing Won't Acknowledge Latest Scuffle

As the protracted standoff at Doklam shows no respite, fresh clash among soldiers at other areas strongly signal an escalation of conflict between the two south Asian powers.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – Senior army officials of India & China held a crucial flag meeting on Wednesday to discuss the way out of the ongoing stand-off at Doklam. The alleged attempt by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to breach the de-factor border at Ladakh was also discussed during the meeting.

Indian defense ministry officials refused to divulge details of the meeting, but sources told Sputnik that the meeting at Chusul in Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir in India was inconclusive. There was a loose agreement for “strengthening of existing mechanisms to maintain peace and tranquility.”

News Story: China urges Japanese ambassador to India to be discreet on Doklam standoff

BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday that the Japanese ambassador to India should not wag his tongue too freely on the standoff between China and India in the Dong Lang (Doklam) area.

Spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a routine press briefing that there is no territorial dispute in that area and that the nature of the incident is that Indian troops illegally crossed the already delimited Sikkim section of the China-India boundary into Chinese territory.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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Story Quote: "Hua said, stressing that it is India, not China, that is trying to create trouble and change the status quo."

PacificSentinel: China LYING again!

News Report: Indian, Chinese Troops Square Off in Disputed Himalayan Region

Indian security officials say their troops engaged in a stone-throwing clash with Chinese forces in a disputed area of the Himalayas Tuesday.

The incident occurred after Indian soldiers prevented their Chinese counterparts from entering the mountainous region of Ladakh in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The confrontation ended after both sides retreated to their respective positions.

China did not immediately comment on the incident.

Indian and Chinese forces are locked in a 2-month-old standoff in a disputed area between India’s close ally, Bhutan, and China. The tensions began when Indian troops were deployed to obstruct a Chinese road-building project at Doklam Plateau. The area also known as Chicken’s Neck is hugely strategic for India because it connects the country’s mainland to its northeastern region.

New Delhi cites its treaties with Bhutan, with which it has close military and economic ties, for keeping its soldiers in the area despite strident calls by Beijing to vacate the mountain region.

The standoff is believed to be the most serious confrontation between the two Asian giants, who fought a brief war in 1962.

This story first appeared on Voice of America & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: India, China troops in high-altitude clash - officials

Indian and Chinese troops clashed briefly on a disputed area of land in the Himalayas, officials said Wednesday, exacerbating tensions during a months-long stand-off between the two armies.

Chinese troops threw stones at Indian soldiers near Pangong Lake, a major tourist attraction in the picturesque mountain region of Ladakh on Tuesday, an Indian defence official said.

He said Chinese soldiers had twice tried to enter the Indian territory but had been pushed back.

"There was a minor incident. There was some stone pelting from the Chinese side but the situation was quickly brought under control," he told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The brief confrontation was resolved after Indian and Chinese sides retreated to their respective positions, he added.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: India Denies Chinese Intrusion in Ladakh, no Thaw in Doklam Standoff

Indian government on Sunday rejected reports of China building a bridge in Ladakh - a region in Jammu and Kashmir even as the Doklam standoff entered its eighth week with no signs of thaw.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India has denied any fresh aggression from China notwithstanding the continuing standoff at Doklam tri-junction. Some news reports on Sunday said China was building a bridge in the no man's land in Ladakh.

The Press Trust of India (PTI), quoting official sources, said there has been no increase in troops or any movement on the Chinese side that may indicate a possible conflict. But, Indian soldiers have been asked to be on high alert, and artillery guns have been moved to different points.

Meanwhile, status quo remains in Doklam with both India and China refusing to retract their forces. India has reportedly reinforced troops along the eastern border, close to the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction. At Doklam, the point of the stand-off, there are around 350 troops on the Indian side and around the same number of soldiers on the other side of the border.

News Story: India's army steps up troop level on China border

India has increased the number of troops along its northeastern border with China, reports said Friday, amid a tense standoff between Delhi and Beijing over a strategically key Himalayan plateau.

The "caution level" among the troops has also been raised, the Press Trust of India news agency said, quoting an unnamed government official.

"The troop level along the border with China in the Sikkim and Arunachal sectors has been increased," the official said without giving further details.

The official however said there was no deployment of extra troops at the tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan, where around 350 Indian army personnel have been locked in a face-off with Chinese troops for nearly seven weeks.

The border trouble began in June when Chinese soldiers started to extend a road through the Doklam territory -- known as "Donglang" in Chinese. The area is disputed between China and Bhutan.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: ‘No War, No Peace’ - India Raises Military Alert Level Over China Border Dispute

The standoff between China and India along the Doklam Plateau has shown no signs of de-escalating, as India continues to bolster its strength and increase operational readiness along the border.

New Delhi raised the military alertness level as a "matter of caution," according to anonymous sources speaking to Reuters. The level in question is known as "no war, no peace," and instructs the soldiers to take defensive positions. 

India sends its troops onto "operational alert" every year in the fall — but this year the state has been activated early. "It's out of caution. It has been done because of the situation," the anonymous source told Reuters. "The troop level along the border with China in the Sikkim and Arunachal sectors [next to Doklam] has been increased," another anonymous official told the India Times.

New Delhi is split over its next course of action. On August 4, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called for a bilateral troop retreat to increase the chances of a peaceful resolution, while Defense Minister Arun Jaitley told the National Parliament on Friday that the military was "prepared to take on any eventuality" in the stand-off. 

News Report: Bhutan Asks India to Amicably Resolve Standoff with China

While calling for peace between India and China, Bhutan has made it clear that it wants status-quo at Doklam unless the territorial dispute between itself and China is settled as per an earlier agreement.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj met her Bhutanese counterpart Damcho Dorji in Kathmandu today on the sidelines of a regional bloc's meeting hosted by Nepal.

The duo reportedly discussed the standoff between Indian and Chinese forces at the Doklam area. Following the meeting, the Bhutanese foreign minister told the press, "We hope the situation in Doklam will be resolved peacefully and amicably". This was the first meeting between the two ministers since the Doklam crisis broke out.