‘If China gets aggressive, so will India’: IAF chief amid border standoff

“If they (China) can get aggressive, we will also get aggressive. We have full preparations (to meet any eventuality,)” the IAF chief said during a media interaction at Jodhpur.

The statement cames a day ahead of the ninth round of military talks with China to defuse border tensions in Ladakh.

There have been 8 rounds of talks, but both sides have not been able to work out a solution as yet.

India-China to hold 9th round of military commander level talks tomorrow

India and China are locked in a border dispute since May last year. Tensions were further escalated after the Galwan Valley clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred and an equal number of Chinese soldiers were either killed or went missing.

India has all along been maintaining that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.

In a clear message to China, Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane last week said India is committed to resolve the eastern Ladakh standoff through talks but no one should make any mistake of testing its patience.

Earlier, Bhadauria had said any serious conflict with India does not suit China”s global aspirations and “grand plans” and the trigger for the Ladakh face-off could be the result of a variety of reasons including a “military dominated misadventure” that escalated following the rapid trust deficit faced by the neighbouring country due to the coronavirus pandemic.