Jan 13, 2022: According to a report by Anadolu Agency, the Indian Army chief said on Wednesday that despite the partial disengagement of the two countries along the de facto border, the threat posed by China to India has not diminished in any way.

“War or conflict is always a tool of last resort. But if it is resorted to, we will be victorious,” General Manoj Mukund Narvane stressed in a virtual press conference ahead of Indian Army Day.

Stressing that the Indian Army would work closely with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as it maintains maximum operational readiness along its northern borders, Naravane said New Delhi would at the same time engage with the Chinese PLA through dialogue.

He noted that the Indian Army has increased its strength in the region since the military standoff in 2020 and will continue to do so this year. The two countries were facing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the de facto border between China and India in the disputed Himalayan region of Ladakh.

Tensions escalated in June 2020 after at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in a border clash in the region.

Though the situation calmed after several rounds of talks, the two sides are yet to reach a resolution and have increased military deployment along the border. However, there have been positive developments along the country’s northern and western borders since January last year as Indian forces have engaged with Chinese troops through dialogue, he said.

When asked about the 14th round of military dialogue with China, which began on Wednesday, he expressed optimism on the resolution of difficulties at Patrolling Point 15 in eastern Ladakh, from where Chinese troops moved out in 2020 as part of disengagement efforts at the border.