The clash in Tawang between Indian and Chinese troops on Dec 9th, could be the most serious incident since the Galwan clash. The location of the clash, Yangtse, has seen attempted Chinese intrusions since 2006, and there was one last year also. In this conversation on The Gist, Lt. Gen. S.L. Narasimhan (Retd), former defence attache in Beijing and ex-DG of the Centre for Contemporary China Studies, looks at whether this is the biggest clash since Galwan, and if so, what could be its larger implications. It does seem to fit the standard Chinese pattern of steady pressure on the Line of Actual Control. India is expected to step up its surveillance of vulnerable pockets along the LAC, and Gen. Narasimhan looks at India’s troop deployment since Galwan, and what more needs to be done. It’s also important to note that India has intensified combat air patrols in Ladakh and Arunachal following increasing incidents of Chinese drones being spotted flying along the LAC.
