India reply to China: ‘No 3rd party gets veto on our military exercise’

What’s in today’s article?

• Sino-Indian bilateral agreements for border peace
• Yudh Abhyas
• News Summary

Why in News?

• India hit out at China for claiming that the ongoing India-US ‘Yudh Abhyas’ military exercise in Uttarakhand violates Sino-Indian bilateral agreements for border peace.
• It asked Beijing to reflect on its own breach of the pacts in the form of Chinese transgressions in eastern Ladakh.

Sino-Indian bilateral agreements for border peace

• The 1993 agreement between India and China
  • The 1993 agreement deals with maintaining peace and tranquility along the LAC (line of actual control).
  • It declared: “Neither side shall use or threaten to use force against the other by any means. No activities of either side shall overstep the LAC.”
  • It also stated, “in case personnel of one side cross the line of actual control, upon being cautioned by the other side, they shall immediately pull back to their own side of the LAC.”
• 1996 agreement on border disputes and maintenance of peace
  • The 1996 pact was about confidence building measures in the military field along the LAC with China in the ‘India-China Border Areas’.
  • As per article VI of the Agreement, the two countries are not to open fire within two kilometers from the LAC
  • This had been stipulated to prevent “dangerous military activities” and does not apply to routine firing activities in small arms firing ranges.

What is Yudh Abhyas Exercise?

• Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and USA with the aim of exchanging best practices, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures between the Armies of the two nations.
• India and US are conducting the 18th edition of this joint military training exercise in Auli, Uttarakhand.
  • The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.
• The exercise will help both countries to encounter China by endorsing each other.

News Summary

• Recently, India said it does not give a veto to third countries on matters such as its joint military exercises with any country.
• This came in a sharp response to China’s objections to the ongoing joint India-US military exercise in Uttarakhand’s Auli.

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Image Caption: Reaction to ongoing Yudh Abhyas Exercise

• China sees the exercise near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) also as an effort by US to meddle in India-China border affairs.

What is India’s response to China?

• India exercises with whomever it chooses to and it does not give a veto to third countries on these issues. The exercise has nothing to do with the bilateral agreements.
• India emphasized that the Chinese side needs to reflect and think about its own breach of the agreements of 1993 and 1996.

Q1) What is the difference between LAC and LOC?

LOC or Line of Control  denotes clearly demarcated military boundary separating parts of Indian UT i.e. Jammu & Kashmir; controlled by India and illegally occupied by Pakistan.  LAC stands for Line of Actual Control which separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory.  

Q2) What is McMahon, Durand, and Radcliffe Line?

The McMahon line: The boundary line between India and China. The Durand Line: The boundary that once separated British India from Afghanistan. The Radcliff Line: The boundary drawn between India and Pakistan.