India-China standoff live updates: LAC clash premeditated, says India’s envoy to US

"This is in keeping with the Agreement between External Affairs Ministers and his Chinese counterpart during their conversation on 17th June that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and that both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of 6th June sincerely," the sources further said.

As its rivalry with the US intensifies and the international environment becomes more hostile, China should improve its relations with its Asian neighbours and India should be its priority, said US-based professor Zhiqun Zhu. In an opinion piece in Al Jazeera, Zhiqun Zhu, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bucknell University, said that India has been cautious not to offend China, even as it beefs up ties with the US. "It serves China's interest to improve relations with its Asian neighbours instead of heavily concentrating on the US. India should be a priority of this new approach," the professor said.

India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday amid border standoff with China. Gadakri also said the government will ensure that Chinese investors are not entertained in various sectors like Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). "We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it," Gadkari told PTI in an interview.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed more than 20,000 of its troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near the Eastern Ladakh sector even as India is closely watching the activities of another 10,000-12,000 Chinese troops deployed in Xinjiang with high mobility vehicles and weaponry in the rear positions with the capability to reach the Indian front in 48 hours time. "The Chinese Army has deployed around two divisions worth of troops (around 20,000) along the LAC in the Eastern Ladakh sector. There is another division (10,000 troops) which has been stationed by it in the Northern Xinjiang province almost a 1,000 kilometres from the front but they can be mobilised to reach our frontiers in maximum 48 hours time due to the flat terrain on the Chinese side," top government sources told ANI. "We are keeping a close eye on the movement of these troops along with the ones which have been deployed close to the Indian territory," the sources said.

India's ban on 59 Chinese apps, including the popular TikTok, has been widely noted in the US, including by some prominent lawmakers, who have urged the American government to follow suit as it is believed that the short video-sharing app is a major security risk to the country. India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country. The ban, which comes in the backdrop of India's current stand-off along the Line of Actual control in Ladakh with Chinese troops, is also applicable for WeChat and Bigo Live.

Talks between the Indian and Chinese military delegates to resolve the border issue in Eastern Ladakh went on for around 12 hours, sources said. The meeting which started at 10.30 a.m. ended at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, the sources said. It took place at Chushul wherein India has put a strong message that to China's People's Liberation Army troops have not aided by the disengagement consensus. This is the third meeting between the two sides. The last two meetings at Corp Commander level were held on June 6 and June 22. While Tuesday's meeting was held in Chushul on the Indian side, the previous two took place in Moldo on the Chinese side. "All contentious areas during the current standoff were discussed to stabilise the situation," the sources added.

India on Tuesday asked China to adhere to the broad de-escalation and disengagement plan of June 22, with gradual, verifiable and mutual troop pull-back from the confrontation sites in eastern Ladakh, followed by reduction in the continuing rival military build-ups along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). There was no official word on the outcome of the third round of talks on Tuesday between 14 Corps commander Lt-General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin, who had held similar marathon dialogues on June 6 and June 22. Read full report

After physically occupying an almost 8-km stretch of what India considers its territory on the north bank of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has now created a massive signage in the area to claim it as Chinese land. Located between Finger-4 and Finger-5, the 80-metre-long signage is in the shape of inscriptions and is designed to be visible from the air and capable of being picked up by satellites. It consists of the Mandarin symbol meaning China with a map of the country. It seeks to deride India’s claim that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) runs north to south at Finger-8. “It clearly shows the PLA has no intention of leaving the area any time soon. We, too, have counter-mobilised with additional Army and ITBP troops in the area since May for any eventuality. We want restoration of status quo ante, with the PLA pulling back to its original position,” an official said here. Read more

At a time when the threat of cyberattacks is growing, including those from China, the Union government has approved Rs 196 crore for a national technical centre at IIT Kanpur to counter such threats. Besides, in a first for the country, the institute will also roll out an MTech degree in cyber security from the next year. Known as C3ihub — Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity of Cyberphysical systems Innovation Hub — the centre will include faculty from various foreign and Indian varsities.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi used an allegory to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on Chinese incursions as the opposition party dubbed his “address to the nation” as evidence that Bihar elections were his top priority in the midst of serious crises facing the country. In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi improvised on a couplet that questions the protector for his lapses and urges him not to beat about the bush but to explain why the caravan was robbed. It was seen in the light of Congress questioning the PM for steering clear in his speech of the serious situation on the China border.

Industrialist Anand Mahindra and editor-in-chief of Chinese media company Global Times were locked in a sharp exchange after the latter took a dig at India’s production capacity on Twitter. “Well, even if Chinese people want to boycott Indian products, they can’t really find many Indian goods. Indian friends, you need to have some things that are more important than nationalism,” posted Hu Xijin of Global Times, a mouthpiece of Communist Party. Mahindra quoted Xijin’s post and wrote: “I suspect this comment might well be the most effective & motivating rallying cry that India Inc. has ever received. Thank you for the provocation. We will rise to the occasion.”

Within minutes of the order blocking TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps, SaltNPepper, a wannabe actor in his early forties, reached out to his near-one million followers, advising them to follow him on his new personal website as well as Instagram and YouTube channel. He was not alone, with many Indian TikTok influencers, whose accounts were inaccessible on Tuesday, doing the same.

​​“This was a hard blow against the soldiers, their families, and the nation. In these difficult circumstances, I wish to express my steadfast and friendly support, along with that of the French armed forces. I request you to kindly convey my heartfelt condolences to the entire Indian armed forces as well as to the grieving families,” French defence minister Florence Parly wrote to Singh, reiterating that India was France’s strategic partner in the region.

As the call to boycott Chinese products grew stronger in the country due to the ongoing India-China faceoff, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation “disqualified” bids placed by the Chinese firm CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd for rolling stock and signalling systems for the Kanpur and Agra metro projects as “it did not fulfil the requirements of experience and turnover”, sources said.

A day after the government ordered the “blocking” of 59 Chinese apps, some of them, such as TikTok and Club Factory, decided to approach the Centre seeking to clarify their position, while maintaining that they were compliant with Indian regulations. The statements came as Apple and Google said they were yet to receive official communication to remove all the 59 Chinese apps from their platforms. As a result, some of the apps such as CamScanner could be downloaded on devices even on Tuesday.