China’s state-run Global Times on Thursday dismissed reports this week of a recent military buildup by China along its border with India as a “routine” activity.
“[I]t is routine for the Indian and Chinese armies to make deployments along the border in summer, with experts warning India not to misjudge the situation and trigger a new round of conflict,” the Global Times wrote, referencing a report published by India Today on May 17 alleging that Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers had deployed to locations along China’s western Himalayan border with India in recent days.
“Chinese forces are back to their traditional training areas for an exercise near Eastern Ladakh,” anonymous sources allegedly told India Today this week. Ladakh is a northern Indian state that borders the western Chinese territory of Xinjiang.
“The Chinese troops are there in large numbers holding exercises at different locations in their depth areas from where they can reach the Indian front in a matter of few hours,” the sources said.
