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Army chief to discuss Chinese aggression at Commanders’ ConferenceBy Hindustan Times

Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane is presiding over the Commanders' Conference that began on Wednesday.

During the three-day meeting, the top brass of the force is likely to discuss security issues along with other points. The stand-off at the border with China in Ladakh is also likely to be discussed.

The meeting comes amid the Indian Army increasing presence of its troops to match the strength of the Chinese Army, which has deployed over 5,000 of its personnel on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at different locations in the Ladakh sector.

The stand-off centres around a strategic bridge being built near Daulat Beg Oldi, the last military post south of the Karakoram Pass.

The movement of the troops has been done with the idea to not allow any alteration of Indian territory and to face the Chinese challenge with "strength and restraint", according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired a high-leve security meeting with National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat to assess the situation along the LAC. The CDS briefed PM Modi on the military inputs and suggestions to handle the situation in Ladakh.

In many ways, India's position is a reiteration of the stance it adopted during the 73-day standoff at Doklam in 2017, when Indian troops dug in and stood their ground in the face of a rapid mobilisation by the Chinese side.

Indian and Chinese soldiers are eyeball-to-eyeball at four locations along the LAC and several rounds of talks between local military commanders have failed to end the standoff that began with a violent confrontation between rival patrols three weeks ago near Pangong Lake.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh had on Tuesday reviewed the situation in the Ladakh sector of the LAC during a meeting with the CDS and the three service chiefs.

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