China infra build-up near LAC alarming, says US commander

New Delhi, June 8

A senior US military commander today said some of the defence infrastructure that is being set up by China near its border with India is alarming and the corrosive behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Indo-Pacific region is simply not helpful.

General Charles A Flynn, Commanding General, United States Army Pacific, while talking to reporters here, said: “The (Chinese) activity level is eye-opening. Some of the infrastructure that is being created in the western theatre command is alarming.” The western theatre command of the Chinese army borders India, facing Ladakh. India and China have been locked in a standoff along the LAC since May 5, 2020, whenthere was a violent clash between the two sides in the Pangong lake area.

The US General, who is on a four-day visit to India, met Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Tuesday and discussed issues related to defence cooperation.

Flynn said when one sees China’s military arsenal in all domains, one must ask the question why is it needed.

“I do not have a crystal ball to tell you how it (India-China border standoff) is going to end…. I will express to you that it is worthy of asking this question and try to get their response as to what are their intentions” he noted.

He said the talks that were going on between India and China were helpful. “However, behaviour matters here as well. So, understanding what they are saying is one thing but the way they are acting and behaving by the way of build-up is concerning,” he said.

General Flynn also talked about how the behaviour of China had changed over the past few years. Comparing what they were doing in the past to what they are doing today can be described as an “incremental and insidious path”, he said.

The destabilising and corrosive behaviour that China projects into the Indo-Pacific region is simply not helpful, he said, adding that it was “worthy of us to work together as a counterweight to some of the corrosive and corruptive behaviours” of the Chinese.

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande had on May 9 said China’s intention was to keep alive the boundary question with India. India and China have held 15 rounds of military talks so far to resolve the eastern Ladakh row.

Corrosive conduct

The destabilising and corrosive behaviour that China projects into the Indo-Pacific region is not helpful. General CA Flynn, Us