PLA pushes more troops into Ladakh as Xi, Modi talk business

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) pushed in more troops into Chumar sector in Ladakh across the Line of Actual Control early today, ahead of a summit meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the Chinese president resolved to settle the boundary issue at the earliest.

Xi said such incidents take place due to non-demarcation of the border, but both countries have mechanisms to handle such incidents.

According to reports, the Chinese side pushed in more troops with more banners asking the Indian Army to leave the area.

An equal number of troops from the Indian side are also stationed there. Both the armies are maintaining a distance of 200 metres from each other, it added.

Chumar, located more than 300 km northeast of Leh and bordering Himachal Pradesh, has been a point of incursion for the PLA troops and the Chinese have made several attempts to end India's dominance in the area.

The latest stand-off started on Sunday when Indian troops detected construction activity being undertaken by the Chinese side within the Indian territory in the Chumar area, official sources said, adding the army stopped the activity and increased its strength.

Despite two flag meetings and discussions that continued for several hours, the Chinese continued to push in more troops yesterday morning, sources said, adding the number of PLA personnel stood at nearly 500 now.

The PLA has been making repeated bids to claim Chumar as part of Chinese territory but has been thwarted every time by the Indian army.

The Chinese had also been carrying out defence-related construction work on their side, although under the agreement between the two sides, any country indulging in defence construction has to inform the other side.

Meanwhile, the stand-off in Demchok where Chinese nomads - Rebos - had pitched their tents continued. The incursion in this area is nearly 500 metres deep into Indian territory, the sources said