July 17, 2026

Yangste Clash: China Will Not Stop

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-12-14 06:46:01

About the Author

The India Commentary view

View all posts by this Author

China will not stop its attempts to acquire Indian territory along the LAC surreptitiously or by force. The latest skirmish in Yangste in Tawang sector is proof of that. By trying to unilaterally attempt to change the status quo by sending 300-400 soldiers across the LAC, the Chinese side was trying to escalate matters. Indian soldiers were vigilant and pushed them back (visuals show the use of barbed wire and sticks) and some soldiers were injured on both sides but thankfully there were no casualties.

China has a habit to flex its military muscle against neighbours. India is high on its list of conducting such misadventures. Sometimes they are done to deflect the attention from its domestic troubles (like in Galwan at the height of the pandemic and now Yangste when its zero-Covid policy is causing problems at home). Sometimes it is in response to what their neighbours do and which the Chinese regime does not like (like the present misadventure which comes close on the heels of the joint Indo-US military exercise conducted close to the LAC). But whatever the reason, the Chinese actions are unacceptable and deplorable.

India needs to remain firm that it will not allow any change in the status quo along the LAC. For this, it has to deploy heavy troops in troubled sectors (as it has done) and beef up infrastructure along the LAC (which it is doing but not at the same pace at which the Chinese are doing). Talks to resolve matters at the highest levels have been all but abandoned as the Chinese side does not seem to be interested in dialogue. Hence, India will have to remain on high alert and will have to match the Chinese in infrastructure, hardware and troop deployment to keep them at bay and foil their devious designs. 

Picture: screengrab from a video being circulated on social media. Source not verified