India/China border clashes

This item appears on page 4 of the November 2020 issue.

On Sept. 8, China accused Indian soldiers of firing on its positions along the countries’ contested border in the Ladakh region. India denied the claims and said that Chinese soldiers fired in the air during a skirmish.

If either report is true, it would be the first time in more than 45 years that live fire occurred on the border. The two countries signed a treaty in 1996 that bans the use of guns or explosives along the border.

Both countries built up their military presence in the area after soldiers armed with martial weapons fought on June 15, with both sides suffering casualties.