‘No Chinese Camps In Arunachal’: Indian Army Rebuts Media Reports, Says LAC Claims ‘Incorrect And Without Basis’

New Delhi: The Indian Army on Monday rebutted reports in a section of the media alleging encroachment by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and setting up camps in Arunachal Pradesh and termed them "incorrect and without basis".

"We have seen some media reports alleging recent encroachment by Chinese PLA and setting up of camps in Arunachal Pradesh. These reports are incorrect and without any basis," the Indian Army said.

India and China held the 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in Beijing last month.

A Ministry of External Affairs release said later that the discussions were constructive and forward-looking.

The two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas and expressed satisfaction with the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas, which has enabled progress towards gradual normalization of bilateral relations.

The two sides discussed issues pertaining to delimitation, border management, mechanism building and cross-border cooperation. Indian side stressed on early meeting of the next Expert Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers.

Outgoing Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday said the situation along the China border is stable even though it continues to be sensitive, requiring constant vigilance, and added that the two militaries hold over 1100 ground-level interactions annually to prevent misunderstandings and address routine border issues.

In an interaction with ANI, Gen Dwivedi said the disengagement agreements have contributed significantly to improving stability on the ground and both sides are displaying greater responsiveness towards each other's concerns.

He said that the "overall situation is being managed through well-established mechanisms. Whenever local issues arise due to differing perceptions of the LAC, they are addressed through military-to-military interactions, hotlines, flag meetings and commander-level engagements. These mechanisms have helped ensure stability and facilitate routine activities, including patrolling and other local interactions in border areas."

Gen Dwivedi said the Indian Army's priorities remain clear: "First, we must preserve peace and tranquillity along the LAC. Second, we seek to resolve local issues through dialogue and established mechanisms. Third, we remain committed to maintaining a robust and credible deployment posture to deter any potential threat. Simultaneously, we continue to strengthen infrastructure, logistics, surveillance capabilities and overall operational preparedness along the Northern Borders."

He said the Indian Army is committed to engagement and dialogue wherever required.

"However, our approach is based on peace through strength. The Indian Army's posture along the LAC will continue to remain firm, credible, vigilant and fully capable of safeguarding India's territorial integrity and national interests."