China claims approximately 90,000 sq km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar: In yet another incident of Chinese incursion, about 250 soldiers of China's Peoples Liberation Army entered Arunachal Pradesh's east district of Kameng four days ago, defence sources said on Tuesday.

The "temporary transgression" by the Chinese patrolling party happened in Yangste, East kameng district on June 9, they said.

However, the soldiers went back within hours, they added.

Significantly, the Chinese crossing-over happened at a time when Beijing had hardened its opposition against India's bid for membership of the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

This is the second known transgression by the Chinese army this year in the region, which China claims is part of its territory.

Chinese troops again entered almost six km deep inside Indian territory near the Pangong lake area of Ladakh region on March 8 but a patrol of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) sent them back in two hours, reported Hindustan Times earlier this year.

Chinese, however, denied any incident of incursion with its Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kongsaying, "There is no such thing as going beyond the border"

The Chinese troops spent about three hours on this side of the border before going back to their territory, the sources said. China claims approximately 90,000 sq km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh besides 38,000 sq km in Jammu and Kashmir sector.

The area where the Chinese troops came had seen 21 days standoff between PLA and Indian Army in April 2013 which took place ahead of the then Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India.

It was sorted out after hectic round of negotiations following which the Chinese troops withdrew. China has been in denial mode over repeated incursions by the PLA.

Both the sides have established Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to discuss the issue of incursions and aggressive border patrols by their troops along the 3,488-km long disputed border.

A transgression is for a short period, unlike an incursion where the troops remain stationed in an attempt to dominate the area, like the three week stand off between the Indian Chinese troops in Dault Beg Oldi area. As per figures available with MHA, there are cases of transgression due to difference in perception of Line of Actual Control (LAC). The transgression by PLA on Indo China Border during the period from 2010-2014 (up to August 4, 2014) are as under:

2010 228

2011 213

2012 426

2013 411

2014 (Up to August 4, 2014) 334

Recurring incidents of incursions, implementation of an agreement to reduce tensions between border patrols and Sino-India strategic concerns were among the issues that figured in Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's visit to China in April.

(With PTI inputs)

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