India, China air forces to set up hotline to prevent conflict escalation

New Delhi: In a significant development, India and China are discussing to set up a hotline between their Air Forces to prevent any possible escalation of the situation and to directly discuss issues between them on the border, according to government sources.

News agency ANI quoting government sources, said that the need for a hotline was felt as the two air forces were recently engaged in a conflict of sorts as the Chinese Air Force tried to provoke India on multiple occasions in the Eastern Ladakh area.

India held special military to military talks with China to protest Chinese air activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. The two countries are likely to decide on the structure of the hotline and the level during future talks between them. The special military talks last week were headed by a Major General from the Indian side along with an Air Commodore from the Air Force.

Reporting on the issue, the India Today in a report claimed that this is the first time ever that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been made a part of the talks with China even though it has always engaged in the military standoff with China since day one.

As per the reports, the Indian side also included Army representatives and the Air Force is now likely to be part of all military talks between the two sides from now on.

According to the ANI, the Indian Army is also keeping a close watch on Chinese activities across the LAC near the friction points close to the Finger area and the Hot Springs.

Meanwhile, Indian and Chinese forces are also maintaining a close working relationship as an ITBP soldier deployed near the Chumar border had gone missing on Monday evening.

While searching for him, the Indian side also informed the Chinese side to check whether he had inadvertently crossed over to the other side. However, he was found on his own side on Tuesday afternoon and has been brought back to his camp, the sources reported to have told ANI.

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in an interview to the India Today had said that he had a firm stand against the Chinese activity that air activity across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is being continuously monitored. – INDIA NEWS STREAM