Misadventure in Tawang after Galwan!

On December 9, Chinese troops attempted a fresh intrusion into the Yangtse area in the Tawang sector of the
Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast. About 200 PLA men tried to cross the Line of Actual
Control (LAC), but the Indian troops stood firm and pushed them back.
After that, a “firm and resolute” response from the Indian side pushed the Chinese away and things went
back to where they were before. During the face-off, a few personnel on both sides sustained moderate
injuries.
After the violent fight at Ladakh's Galwan valley in northern India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
between the two countries in June 2020, relations between India and China have gotten much worse. This
happened after the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at two points along the LAC in Ladakh, which
has engaged both the armies now nearly for twenty months.
The Pentagon said on Wednesday that China's intrusion attempts in India's north-eastern state of
Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector show that the move reflects the “growing trend by China to assert itself
and to be provocative in areas directed towards US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific”.
“We will continue to remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the security of our partners. And we
fully support India's ongoing efforts to de-escalate this situation,” Pentagon said.
Days after the incident, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged for the de-escalation of
tensions between India and China in the region. “We have seen these reports. We call for de-escalation and to
ensure that the tensions in that area do not grow,” the UN Secretary-General's spokesperson Stephane
Dujarric said in a press briefing.
Chinese who are known for their expansionist mindset have been acting aggressively at a very long LAC
with India, in the South China Sea and getting into fights with Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam all at the
same time. It is going up against the US and threatening a new Cold War. It is also opening up new fronts
against India in the long-running border dispute along the LAC by sending its army into areas into Indian
territory.
At the same time, reports said that the Indian Air Force started active combat patrols over Arunachal
Pradesh after finding “increased Chinese air activity.” They said that fighter jets had to be sent out “two or
three times” in the past few weeks to stop China.
On the Chinese fresh attempt of intrusion, there have been strong political reactions in India. As the
opposition called for a “stern” response to China, India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told the parliament
that China tried to change the status quo along the LAC by itself, but that the Chinese PLA was scared away
by the timely intervention of the Indian troops. Beijing said on Tuesday that the situation along the unresolved
border with India was stable and that the two countries were “continuing to talk about the border issue through
diplomatic and military channels”
What made China indulge into such misadventures? The experts agree on the tactical and strategic
reasons. In response to the Chinese large scale roads and infrastructure build up along LAC, India's building
projects along the border have made it easier for the Indian army to watch, patrol, and manage the LAC. This
also means that they are more likely to run into Chinese troops, who have had a tactical advantage for a long
time because their land is better and their infrastructure is much better. From a strategic point of view, it
makes sense for China to keep the competitive edge, and it is more likely to see India's efforts to build up the
border to make everyone happy as a “threat.”
To reduce China's tactical advantage in a war, the Narendra Modi government has put a lot of emphasis on the
quality and number of construction projects along the LAC. In December 2022, all 61 strategic roads along the border will
be finished. These roads are in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.
Together, they are 3,417 km long. China is against India building any kind of infrastructure, even for civilian use.