China Is "Biggest Security Threat" says Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff

General Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff says China has become India’s biggest security threat. Disengagement of closely deployed troops at friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is taking place but a larger de-escalation of border tensions with China is still farfetched, as thousands of PLA troops have been placed at forward positions, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat has said.

A lack of trust can be seen in the way of resolving the border dispute between the nuclear-armed neighbours, General Rawat said late Thursday. Last month, the 13th round of border talks between Indian and Chinese military commanders ended in a stalemate as both sides couldn't agree on how to pull back from the border.

“They are building this infrastructure and these so-called villages are well within their side of the LAC. They have not transgressed anywhere on our perception of the LAC. There are different perceptions. We are very clear where the LAC lies because we have been told that this is your alignment of the LAC and this is the territory you are expected to defend. Chinese have a perception which in some areas we know and in some areas we don’t know, because they have never really explained where the LAC lies according to their perception,” said Gen Rawat at an event organised by Times Now. “As far as we are concerned, there is no such village development that has taken place on our side of the LAC.”

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Twenty Indians and at least four Chinese soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand combat in a clash along the 3,488-kilometer (2,170 miles) border last June. 

Since then, China has been trying to build its infrastructure, troops and military hardware. Rawat said. “India is prepared for any misadventure along the border and in the sea,” he added. 

India has shifted its 50,000 troops to China’s border marking a historic move.

Gen Rawat said, “We want both sides to go back to their original positions and we want some assurances that the posts will not be re-occupied.”