Situation at LAC tense, war with China can't be ruled out: CDS Rawat

Amid the ongoing military talks between India and China at Chushul over the disengagement at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Friday claimed that situation at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh remains tense and the possibility of a war with China cannot be ruled out.

Rawat also said that the Chinese army is facing unanticipated consequences for its misadventure into Ladakh because of firm responses by Indian forces.

"The situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh remains tense and the People's Liberation Army is facing unanticipated consequences for its misadventure in Ladakh because of the firm and strong responses by Indian forces," Gen Rawat informed.

"In the overall security calculus: border confrontations, transgressions, unprovoked tactical military actions -- spiralling into a larger conflict, therefore, cannot be discounted," he added.

He was speaking at Diamond Jubilee Webinar, 2020 organised by National Defence College in Delhi.

Rawat also reiterated that India's posturing is unambiguous and it "will not accept any shift in Line of Actual Control".

Talking about defence cooperation, Rawat said that India understands the importance of leveraging defence diplomacy in building mutual trust and partnerships with strategically important countries.

He also said that in the coming years, the Indian defence industry will be growing exponentially and contribute to the overall defence preparedness. "The industry will deliver us state-of-art weapons and equipment fully made in India," General Rawat said.

"We must move out of the constant threat of sanctions or dependency on individual nations for our military requirements and invest in building long-term indigenous capability for strategic independence and application of decisive military power to squarely meet present and emerging challenges," Rawat added.

Meanwhile, the eight round of military-level talks between Indian and China are underway since 9.30 am on Friday.

(With IANS inputs)