China objects to Indian Army transgression into Chinese territory
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*Kibithu: *The Indian Army has said that it will continue to patrol up to the Line of Actual Control, as the Chinese side called India's patrolling in the area a "transgression".
The Indian Army has objected to the terminology that the Chinese used to refer to its patrols in Arunachal Pradesh's Asaphila.
The issue was raised at a 'Border Personnel Meeting' (BPM) on March 15 in Kibithu, during which the Indian Army said that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.
"China's protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising," said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions <link>in the area which had been seriously taken up by the Indian side in the past.
Under the BPM mechanism, both sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions as there are varying perceptions about the LAC between the two countries.
The delegation of China's Peoples Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such "violations" may escalate tensions between the two sides in the area.
Rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries.
Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year. The sources said the Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on December 21, 22 and 23 last.
Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border. There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.
The BPM on March 15 had taken place at the Daimai post on the Chinese side in the Kibithu area. At the meeting, the Chinese also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December last year following a protest by India. This allegation was also rejected by the Indian Army, the sources said.
The Chinese road building team had crossed into Indian territory, about one kilometre inside the Line of Actual Control in the Tuting area, in the last week of December.
