India’s Home Minister Amit Shah said in an interview on October 17 that the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Modi, is taking all possible military and diplomatic measures to resolve the ongoing border standoff with China in the Ladakh region and is committed to protecting India’s sovereignty and security.
Shah said in the interview that India’s defense forces stand ready to respond to any form of aggression. Chinese President Xi Jinping said during an inspection of the PLA Marine Corps on March 13 that “we should put all our thoughts and energy into preparing for war and maintain a high state of readiness.” Although there are reports that his remarks were referring to the Taiwan issue, they have received much attention and coverage in the Indian media. In the interview, Shah stressed, “We are vigilant about every inch of land and no one can take it away …… Our defense forces and leadership are capable of defending the country’s sovereignty and borders.” He added, “Every country is always prepared for war. This is the purpose of maintaining the army – to respond to any form of aggression. “He said, “I am not saying this in reference to any specific comment, but India’s defense forces are always ready.”
Shah said the Chinese and Indian militaries are talking to each other and diplomatic channels of communication are opening up between the two sides. The seventh round of Sino-Indian talks at the level of military chiefs is reported to have been held in Chushul on the 12th. In a joint statement after the meeting, the two sides said they have agreed to continue dialogue to reach a mutually acceptable solution for the early disengagement of the two militaries in eastern Ladakh. During the interview, Shah was also asked whether India should change its policy towards Tibet and Taiwan in response to China’s claims to Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh (southern Tibetan region). He replied, “It is not correct to discuss this issue here.” He said that this is a very complex issue with far-reaching implications. Shah pointed out that Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had clearly articulated India’s policy toward China in the relevant discussions in Parliament. He said, “I think that’s enough, the dialogue with China is going on.
According to Indian media outlet Livemint, India has made an emergency purchase of high-altitude combat equipment from the United States, a sign that it is preparing for an extended winter deployment as negotiations to ease border tensions with China stall. It is reported that the Indian procurement of U.S. military supplies is in accordance with the U.S.-India Memorandum of Agreement on Logistics Exchange signed by the two countries in August 2016. It was reported that the Indian military had previously imported such equipment mainly from Europe and China. The Indian military did not respond to the inquiry.
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