Chinese Road-Building Teams Enter Arunachal, Equipment Seized

The response came after media reports said Chinese troops intruded into Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh.

Chinese road-building teams entered around one kilometre inside Indian territory.

(Photo: The Quint)

Chinese road-building teams entered around one kilometre inside Indian territory in Tuting area of Arunachal Pradesh on 28 December 2017, but returned after being confronted by Indian troops, said PTI, quoting government sources.

The sources said the civilian teams came for track alignment activities and returned when confronted by the Indian troops, leaving behind various road-building equipment including excavators.

According to local villagers in Arunachal Pradesh, the Chinese team members included civilians as well as uniformed personnel.

The incident took place nearly four months after the end of the 73-day long Doklam standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Sikkim sector.

Sources told PTI that Indian border patrolling personnel observed a few Chinese civilians undertaking track alignment activity one kilometre into Indian territory in Tuting area.

They maintained there was “no face off” between the two sides and that the issue is being resolved through an established mechanism.

According to an Indian Express report, the Chinese construction party was building a 12-feet wide, 1-km long stretch inside Indian territory.

Media Reports Chinese Intrusion

A Hindustan Times report cited locals from Arunachal and "people in the security establishment" saying that there was an intrusion by the Chinese, which was thwarted by Indian troops. The report further cited some locals as saying that the Chinese troops were intercepted by Indians near Bising village. Locals were being stopped from going beyond Geling village, which is towards the Chinese border.

A report by The New Indian Express supported these claims. According to sources, two dozers have been confiscated by the Indian troops. The report, dated 3 January, also cited sources who confirmed that the “standoff began before the new year and is continuing as we speak.”

Never Acknowledged Arunachal Pradesh: China

China, on Wednesday, 3 January, said it had "never acknowledged" the existence of Arunachal Pradesh, but remained silent over media reports of intrusion into the Indian side of the border in the frontier state.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang’s response came after media reports said Chinese troops intruded into the Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh for around 200 metres close to a village in upper Siang district.

First of all, on the border issue our position is clear and consistent. We never acknowledged the existence of so-called Arunachal Pradesh... For the specific situation you mentioned, I am not aware of it.

Geng Shuang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson

China claims Arunachal Pradesh is part of South Tibet. The Indo-China border dispute covers 3,488 km along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

China Denies Claims

However, Geng, on 3 January, said:

I want to mention that between China and India, there is a well-developed mechanism for border related affairs. Through this mechanism, China and India could manage the border affairs. Maintaining peace and stability at the border suits both China and India.

Asked whether there is another standoff between India and China similar to the one in Dokalam, Geng said the "standoff which happened last year has been resolved properly.”

The Chinese intrusion in Arunachal Pradesh reportedly took place around the same time when National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi held the 20th round of border talks in New Delhi on 22 December 2017, the report said.

Both sides made it clear that the two countries will work together for the continuous improvement of China-India ties... The two sides will jointly maintain peace stability of the border areas.

Geng on the outcome of the latest border talks

The Doklam standoff began on 16 June after the People's Liberation Army troops began building a road in an area claimed by Bhutan. The Indian troops intervened to stop it, saying it posed a security risk to the Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its northeastern states.

The standoff ended on 28 August 2017 following mutual agreement, under which China stopped the road building and India withdrew its troops.

(With inputs from PTI)

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