This Article is From Jul 17, 2017

Amid Sikkim Stand-Off, Chinese Army Shows Off 11-Hour Drill, See Video

The 11-hour live-fire exercises the Chinese army in a remote part of Tibet were reported by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) without revealing when exactly they took place.

The Chinese military said it has conducted trials of a light weight battle tank in Tibet.

Highlights

  • Chinese army conducts 11-hour exercises in remote Tibet region
  • Drills come amid major India-China border dispute at Sikkim
  • China has warned India of "serious consequences"
New Delhi: Amid a protracted standoff with India at the border in Sikkim, China's army has conducted new drills in Tibet that included targeting enemy aircraft and tanks.

For weeks, Chinese and Indian troops have been locked in confrontation in the tri-junction of Bhutan, India and Tibet. 

The 11-hour live-fire exercises in a remote part of Tibet were reported by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) without revealing when exactly they took place. The exercises included the quick deployment of different military units practicing joint attacks. 

Video posted online showed soldiers using anti-tank grenades and missiles against bunkers and howitzers for artillery coverage. The video also showed radar units identifying enemy aircraft and soldiers using anti-aircraft artillery to destroy targets.

Earlier reports said the Chinese army recently tested a new light battle tank being manufactured by China.

China and India have been locked in a standoff in the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector since June 16. China's version is that Indian soldiers crossed the border to stop it from constructing a road on a plateau in what it calls the Donglang region. India backs Bhutan's claim that China was, in fact, constructing the road on Bhutanese soil in a part the Himalayan kingdom calls Doklam. Delhi points out that it had also warned China that the road was "a serious security concern" because it gives Beijing access to the Chicken's Neck - a thin wedge of land that links mainland India to the seven northeastern states.

China has said it has every right to build a road on its own territory and has warned of "serious consequences" if India does not withdraw its troops. India has said it is using all options - including diplomatic contact - to resolve the stand-off. 

Amid the border dispute, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Germany on the sidelines of the G20 summit. China aggressively declared there was no bilateral or formal one-on-one meeting.  India said informal discussions covered a range of issues, but government spokespersons refused to comment on whether the Sikkim confrontation was among them.

Of the nearly 3,500-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
.