'Border Situation With China Stable, Deployment Posture Maintained': Army Chief To NDTV

The situation at the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between India and China, is stable but sensitive, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi told NDTV's Senior Executive Editor Aditya Raj Kaul in an interview. Stability, however, doesn't mean complacency, he added, assuring the nation that the Indian Army maintains a robust deployment posture to deter threats and respond to contingencies.

The Army chief, who is retiring on Tuesday, said that tensions between India and China along the northern border have shown signs of easing, with both sides "showing greater responsiveness and sensitivity to each other's concerns".

"The situation along the Northern Borders is stable but sensitive. The agreements on disengagement have enhanced stability on the ground, and both sides are now showing greater responsiveness and sensitivity to each other's concerns. Renewed diplomatic and military engagements over the last year have helped reduce tensions, address routine border management issues and build a measure of mutual confidence," he said.

He said a host of diplomatic measures act as positive indicators of gradual normalisation, "including the setting up of an Experts Group under WMCC ( Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination) for exploring options for boundary delimitation, resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and direct flights, consensus on border trade through three passes and visa relaxation measures".

At the military level, he said, many confidence-building exercises are regularly undertaken.

"More than 1100 ground-level interactions take place annually between the two sides, helping resolve local issues through established mechanisms such as hotlines, flag meetings and commander-level engagements," he said.

He, however, said that the Indian Army isn't complacent and is prioritising infrastructure development and other allied activities to meet operational challenges.

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"Stability does not mean complacency. The Indian Army continues to maintain a robust deployment posture to deter any threat and respond to any contingency. Infrastructure development, surveillance, logistics, mobility and capability enhancement along the Northern Borders remain priority areas. We are prepared across the full spectrum, from routine border management to any operational challenge," he said.

Army's Long-Term Strategy

He also outlined the Army's long-term strategy.

"The Army's long-term strategy is clear: maintain peace and tranquillity, resolve local issues through dialogue and preserve stability, while ensuring that our preparedness, posture and infrastructure remain credible and effective," he added.

He also talked about the growing development of Chinese infrastructure in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

"Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India. That is our clear and consistent national position. From a military perspective, our immediate concern is the continued use of areas under Pakistan's illegal occupation for sustaining terror infrastructure, training, launching and supporting infiltration into Jammu & Kashmir. This remains a live security challenge and is factored into our operational planning and preparedness...We are also conscious of the wider strategic significance of the region, including external military and infrastructure activity that has implications for India's security. The Indian Army monitors all such developments closely and remains prepared to respond to any contingency. Our deployment, surveillance, intelligence grid and operational readiness are maintained accordingly," he said.

India-China Border Row

Earlier this month, India and China held talks on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and stressed maintaining peace and tranquillity. 

The two sides discussed various aspects of the border situation during a meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination in Beijing.

The Ministry of External Affairs described the meeting as "constructive and forward-looking".

"The two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas. They expressed satisfaction with the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, which has enabled progress towards gradual normalisation of bilateral relations," the MEA added.

Also read: India And China Hold Constructive Talks On Border Situation In Ladakh

India and China engaged in a four-year-long standoff in Eastern Ladakh. The hostilities at the border also led to a clash in the Galwan Valley, in which 20 Indian troops died in the line of duty. An unspecified number of Chinese soldiers also died in a brutal hand-to-hand combat.

After years of diplomatic and military talks, the two sides withdrew their troops from several friction points along the LAC. In October 2024, India and China disengaged in Depsang and Demchok, the last two friction points in eastern Ladakh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Kazan days after the pact to improve India-China ties.

Last August, PM Modi travelled to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. On the sidelines of the event, he met with his Chinese counterpart and stressed New Delhi's commitment to take forward its ties with China based on mutual trust, respect and sensitivity.