No ‘slow encroachment’ by China in Arunachal Pradesh: Reports

There is no ongoing “slow encroachment” by China in Arunachal Pradesh, as alleged in some social media posts, as mentioned by ANI in its report, while outlining the history of the India-China boundary dispute and the measures being taken to monitor activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

According to reports by ANI, China has historically laid claim to Arunachal Pradesh, referring to the region as “South Tibet”. The claim was articulated during the India-China border talks in 1960, when China reportedly claimed around 69,000 square kilometres of territory in the present-day state.

The sources also referred to the 1959 incident at Longju, where Chinese forces attacked an Assam Rifles outpost and subsequently took control of the area. The area has remained under adverse possession and has periodically drawn attention because of infrastructure development undertaken by China there, they said.

During the 1962 India-China war, Chinese forces launched major military operations in several sectors of the region, including the Kameng, Subansiri, Siyom, Siang and Lohit valleys. Following the ceasefire, however, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) withdrew to positions north of the LAC, the sources said.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a long and strategically significant boundary with Tibet along the Great Himalayan range. The sources said India’s infrastructure development in the region in recent years has strengthened its ability to conduct patrols and surveillance along the border.

ANI reported that sources acknowledged that the absence of a mutually demarcated boundary can result in face-offs between patrols from the two sides in certain areas. Such incidents, they said, are addressed through established mechanisms and protocols agreed upon by India and China.

The Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) remain deployed along the frontier and are equipped to maintain surveillance, dominate the border and monitor Chinese activities, according to the sources.

The sources also cautioned against broad or sensational claims regarding developments along the Arunachal Pradesh border, saying that such assertions should be assessed against specific locations and verifiable facts rather than generalised allegations.