On Wednesday, the US condemned Chinese attempts to intrude into the Tawang sector of India’s northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state, claiming that the action was indicative of China’s “growing trend to assert itself and to be provocative in areas directed toward US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.”
The US Department of Defence is closely monitoring the developments along the Line of Actual Control
The Pentagon Press Secretary, Brigadier-General Patrick Ryder, was responding to a question about the clash on December 9 between Chinese and Indian forces near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, where Indian forces stopped PLA intrusion attempts that would have altered the situation on the ground and disrupted the two sides’ established status quo.
The US Department of Defence is closely monitoring the developments along the Line of Actual Control, the Pentagon said in response to a question about whether it was concerned that this conflict might trigger a larger military confrontation between India and China. It also noted that China is continuing to “amass forces and build military infrastructure” alongside it.
“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.
About the incident
On December 9, Chinese troops made an attempt to invade the Tawang area of the Arunachal Pradesh state of northeast India. After a fight broke out between the two sides, the Indian side responded with a “strong and uncompromising” response that drove the Chinese away and restored the LAC status quo. According to the Indian army’s statement, the confrontation resulted in “minor injuries to a few people from both sides.” Following the violent clash at Ladakh’s Galwan valley in northernmost India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries in June 2020, relations between India and China have dramatically deteriorated. In December 2022, the ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese forces at two locations of contention along the Ladakh Corridor entered its 20th month.