TIL Desk/World/Beijing/Amid escalating tensions over the Doklam stand-off with India, China has conducted a military drill in the western part of the country. The drill was meant to “strike awe in India”, a Chinese military said.
The drill was conducted by the Western Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).The location and timing of the exercise were not disclosed. According to reports, 10 PLA units, including aviation and armoured forces, participated in the drills.
Tibet, Xinjiang, Ningxia, Qinghai, Sichuan and Chongqing comes under the newly formed Western Theater Command. In July, the PLA had conducted a live drill in Tibet, which borders India. China has said its army is ready for a military conflict with India, whose troops are on its territory in Doklam.
Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a three-month stand-off at Doklam in the Sikkim section of the Sino-India border. In June, Indian troops had halted road construction at Doklam, citing the disputed status of the territory. This triggered the longest military stand-off between India and China after 1987 when both sides faced-off in Somordong Chu valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
