Last week, The Telegraph quoted a source in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, which guards the border with China, as saying that “the Beijing is fortifying its position inside Indian territory it has occupied since 2020, by erecting watchtowers mounted with CCTV cameras at the Depsang Plains and Hot Springs in Ladakh” These areas are 18kms inside Indian lines. The Telegraph reports that China is estimated to have taken over close to 1,000 sqkm of India-claimed territory in eastern Ladakh since May 2020.

Last month, The South China Morning Post reported that China will be undertaking construction of a second highway through the disputed Aksai Chin region. In July, Chinese aircraft regularly flew near to the Line of Actual Control, violating the agreed upon CBM of not entering into a 10km radius along theLAC. The intent behind these violations is reportedly to determine India’s response time and test the Indian defence system in the region.

So how has India responded to all of this? You would recall that the Modi Govt, in the days following the June 2020 clashes, denied that China had entered or occupied any Indian territory. The official communication on Chinese adventurism since has, arguably, lacked transparency.

We spoke to Sushant Singh, defence analyst and senior fellow at the Centre For Policy Research on the ground realities and how he views the Modi government’s China policy.

Contribute to Scroll

Support the Free Press, Contribute to Scroll

scroll.in

We don’t just tell you what happened. We tell you why it matters. Support our work by contributing to Scroll.in's reporting fund.

In case you missed it:

On this episode of Scroll Ideas, we talk about how the Chinese see India with India's former Foreign Secretary and China expert, Shyam Saran.

This discussion ranges from ancient history right down to the Galwan clash of 2020. Saran touches on Buddhism, Mao and even how the British used Indian troops to attack China in the colonial age.

China is the world's second-most powerful country and one that has been hostile to India now for decades. Understanding how it thinks is key.