Xi Jinping Speaks To PLA Troops Along India-China Border In Eastern Ladakh, Inspects Combat Readiness
The Chinese President addressed the army from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) headquarters on the border defence situation in Khunjerab under the Xinjiang Military Command.
New Delhi: In a bid to take stock of their combat readiness, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a video conversation with the soldiers deployed along the India-China border in eastern Ladakh on Januray 18, news agency PTI reported.
The Chinese President addressed the army from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) headquarters on the border defence situation in Khunjerab under the Xinjiang Military Command.
According to the report, during the call, Xi Jinping “inspected their combat readiness.”
Xi, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China and the commander-in-chief of the PLA, in his address to the Chinese soldiers referred to how “in recent years, the area has been constantly changing” and how it had impacted the Army, according to the video shown in the official media.
As per the report, one of the soldiers replied that they were now carrying out “dynamic” and “24-hour” monitoring of the border. Xi also asked about their condition and whether they were able to “receive fresh vegetables” in the inhospitable terrain.
The official media also reported that the Chinese President asked the border troops “about their border patrol and management work” and “hailed the soldiers as models of border defence and encouraged them to persist in their efforts and make new contributions.”
It is to be noted that Eastern Ladakh is the region which has seen tensions since April 2020 after violent clash between India and China in the Pangong lake area.
Since then, the two sides have held 17 rounds of high-level military talks on the eastern Ladakh border standoff, however, there has been no significant forward movement in resolution of the remaining issues.
India has asserted that peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are essential for the overall development of bilateral ties with the neighbouring country.