Chinese daily hints at new LAC flashpoint

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 18

Chinese newspaper Global Times today hinted at opening of another flashpoint on the Sino-India border, but played down the possibility of a serious situation, as witnessed in Doklam in 2017.

Nepal to issue new map

New Delhi: Responding to India blacktopping a road that passes through an area it claims sovereignty on, Nepal on Monday decided to issue a new political map that includes this land at Lipulekh. The map will depict Kalapani and Limphudhara that are also claimed by Nepal. TNS

Quoting unnamed military sources, it said Chinese border defence troops have made necessary moves in response to “India’s recent, illegal construction of defence facilities across the border into Chinese territory in the Galwan Valley region”.

“India is merely seeking to divert domestic attention due to its unsuccessful handling of Covid pandemic, and China has a military advantage there. So, the Indian military won’t escalate the incident,” it said, quoting Chinese analysts.

The paper accused India of crossing the boundary in Galwan Valley of Ladakh. “The Indian side built defence fortifications and obstacles to disrupt Chinese border defence troops’ normal patrol, purposefully instigated conflict and attempted to unilaterally change the current border-control situation.”

Indian media has also been reporting tension in the sector for the past one week.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not commented on the flare-up, but it reacted to troop face-offs last week in two sectors by expressing confidence in the ability of the existing mechanism to resolve the issue.

The MEA also suggested that the face-offs were not part of a grand strategy by explaining that these occasionally occur due to difference in perception of the LAC alignment.