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Situation peaceful at India-China border, says ITBP chief
ITBP chief SS Deswal said there has not been any major incident of incursion by Chinese troops post Malappuram meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) director general S S Deswal said on Wednesday that there have been no recent incidents of “transgression” at the India-China border and the situation remains “peaceful”.
Addressing reporters at ITBP’s annual conference in New Delhi, Deswal said there has not been any major incident of incursion by Chinese troops post Malappuram meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We [Indian and Chinese troops] patrol the same area. We sometimes come in front of each other but there has been no incidents (of aggression). India and China have very good understanding and good mechanism to find solution to all the situations arising at the border. The border is absolutely safe”.
He added that “status quo” is maintained at Indo-China border by both sides.
Since the standoff between India and China at Doklam plateau in 2017, ITBP has constructed 25 new border outposts (BoPs) along the 3,488 km-long border manned by the force in the Himalayan range. In all, it now has 180 BoPs at the India-China border.
With the increase in BoPs, number of troops has also slightly increased. Deswal said they are surveying more areas where more BoPs could be built.
He said that infrastructure has improved at the border, particularly roads with construction of 56 new roads. “The effort has been to reach the zero point (the last point or BoP) using roads. Currently, 52 of our border outposts can only be reached and serviced by air,” Deswal said.
