"Situation On China Border Stable, No Cause For Concern": Chief Of Defence Staff To NDTV

The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is currently stable and there is no cause for concern, Chief of Defence Staff, General NS Raja Subramani, said at the NDTV Defence Summit on Sunday.

There have been years of heightened tensions along the India-China border following a clash in eastern Ladakh in 2020. 

"I think the border situation at the moment is stable. You have also seen recently the meeting that was held between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dialogue is the best methodology for defending as well as ensuring peace," General Subramani said, in a session moderated by NDTV's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, along with Shiv Aroor and Aditya Raj Kaul. 

The question of the border has remained one of the most difficult issues in India-China relations since the 2020 confrontation. Asked whether the apparent political thaw between New Delhi and Beijing was also being reflected on the ground between the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army, General Subramani said contact between personnel on the two sides continued.

"As far as the border situation is concerned, we have contacts at the ground level. Border Personnel Meetings are going on from time to time, and I do not see instability. The situation on the border is at the moment quite stable, and I don't think there's any cause for concern," he said. 

India's armed forces remain prepared to "respond quickly, decisively, and ensure that when we act, we act in a manner that the appropriate lessons are conveyed", when asked about the threat from Pakistan.

"As far as Pakistan is concerned, what I would like to focus on is, we are not letting our guard down," Subramani said. "And the best way of deterring any threats or any misadventure by our adversaries is to ensure that we are fully prepared," he said. 

General Subramani was asked about Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir having consolidated military power under his command, and about the threat India faces from Pakistan. He did not comment on Munir or on Pakistan's internal situation, but focused on India's preparedness after last year's Operation Sindoor that destroyed terror bases inside the neighbouring country.