Amid military-level talks between India and China new satellite images of Galwan valley that have emerged clearly indicate a consolidation of Chinese positions.??
According to a TOI report, the latest satellite images show that China has revamped the helibase and that another new infrastructure has been added.?
The helibase is located in Pishan County, Hotam Xinjiang, 176 km north of Galwan. The new images were taken on June 22 this year and have been compared to those taken back in 2017.?
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The pictures surfaced ahead of Corps Commander-level talks between Indian and Chinese armies in Chushul to resolve LAC stand-off.
Indian and Chinese military commanders agreed on Monday to step back from a weeks-old standoff at several locations along their disputed border following the June 15 clash in Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
The satellite images showing new construction activity in the week following the brutal hand-to-hand combat underline the challenge of disengagement and the risk the accord could still fall apart because of overlapping claims in the arid territory.
"To fly combat in the narrow valley like these is no way, but they will have to be used for reconnaissance, logistics supplies and casualty evacuation on the frontlines which gives an advantage to India as our helipads are closer to the LAC," LT Gen Satish Dua (retd) told TOI.
China says all of Galwan valley, located at about 14,000 feet, is its territory and blames Indian troops for triggering the clashes.
The new activity includes camouflaged tents or covered structures against the base of cliff, and a short distance away, a potential new camp under construction with walls or barricades. The camp was not seen in pictures made available to Reuters the previous week.
Nathan Ruser, a satellite data expert at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the buildup suggested there was little sign of de-escalation.
This is the third round of Corps Commander-level talks between the two countries. The first two rounds had taken place in Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC.In the second round of the meeting held on June 22, both sides had agreed to disengage in the Eastern Ladakh sector. The military commanders had first met on June 6 to discuss border tensions.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that India had given a befitting reply to who eyed its territory in Ladakh."Those who cast an evil eye on Indian soil in Ladakh have got a befitting response. India honours the spirit of friendship. It is also capable of giving an appropriate response to any adversary without shying away," the Prime Minister had said in his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat, without naming China.
China and India fought in 1962 and again in 1967 over the disputed border, but both sides have sought to avoid conflict since then.?Indian military officials have said they will be closely monitoring the planned disengagement process and verifying it on the ground.?
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All Inputs Reuters