BEIJING: China reinforced its troops near the Indian border with mountainclimbers and martial arts fighters shortly before a deadly clash thismonth, state media reported.
Tensions are common between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in themountainous border terrain, but this month’s fighting was their deadliestencounter in over 50 years.
Five new militia divisions including former members of a Mount EverestOlympic torch relay team and fighters from a mixed martial arts clubpresented themselves for inspection at Lhasa on June 15 before heading offfor the border, official military newspaper China National Defense Newsreported.
State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of hundreds of new troops lining upin the Tibetan capital.
Tibet commander Wang Haijiang said the Enbo Fight Club recruits would“greatly raise the organisation and mobilisation strength” of troops andtheir “rapid response and support ability,” China National Defense Newsreported, although he did not explicitly confirm their deployment waslinked to ongoing border tensions.
The deadliest clash in decades
Chinese and Indian troops clashed later that day in the most violentconfrontation between the two powers in decades, in the Ladakh region 1,300kilometres away.
India says 20 of its own soldiers were killed in brutal hand-to-hand combatthat day, while China suffered an unknown number of casualties.
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Both sides have blamed each other for the battle, which was fought withrocks and batons without any shots fired.
India said Thursday that it had reinforced troops in the contestedHimalayan border region, saying it was matching a similar buildup by China.
Chinese state media have in recent weeks highlighted military activityincluding high-altitude anti-aircraft drills in the Tibet region borderingIndia.
The new troops were recruited with the aim of “strengthening the border andstabilising Tibet,” China National Defense News said.
India claims Chinese troops ambushed Indian soldiers and forced them down aridge where they had gone to remove a Chinese “encroachment”.
