New Delhi: The Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Friday claimed the situation at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh remains tense and the possibility of a war with China cannot be ruled out.
"In the overall security calculus: border confrontations, transgressions, unprovoked tactical military actions -- spiralling into a larger conflict, therefore, cannot be discounted," Rawat said.
His statement came amid ongoing military talks between India and China at Chushul on Friday. He was speaking at Diamond Jubilee Webinar, 2020, organised by the National Defence College in Delhi.
However, the CDS also pointed out that India's posturing is unambiguous and she "will not accept any shift in Line of Actual Control".
He also said that China's People's Liberation Army is facing unanticipated consequences for its misadventure into Ladakh because of firm responses by Indian forces.
Further, speaking about defence cooperation, the CDS 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, Indian defence industry will grow exponentially and contribute to the overall defence preparedness. "The industry will deliver us state-of-the-art weapons and equipment fully made in India," General Rawat said.
The officer said that as India grows in stature, security challenges will rise proportionately.
"We must moveoutof 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," the officer said.
