Exercise Yudh Abhyas: India-U.S. exercise near LAC irks China

Source: The post is based on the article “India-U.S. exercise near LAC irks China” published in The Hindu on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

China has expressed concern over the India-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas being held in Uttarakhand, about 100 km from the Line of Actual Control(LAC).

What is Exercise Yudh Abhyas?

Exercise Yudh Abhyas is a military exercise between India and the US.

Aim: To enhance understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the armies of India and the US with a number of complex drills being planned.

The exercise was started in 2004 under the US Army Pacific Partnership Program. The exercise is hosted alternately between both countries.

What is the condition at LAC between India and China?

Since the beginning of May 2020, Chinese and Indian forces have faced off in clashes with rocks, batons, and clubs wrapped in barbed wire at multiple locations along the LAC. Differing perceptions of border demarcations along the LAC is the reason behind.

The disengagement of troops is still under process after several rounds of talks between India and China.

Each country seeks the withdrawal of the other’s forces and a return to the pre-stand-off conditions, but neither China nor India agreed to the conditions.

Moreover, since the stand-off began, both sides have undertaken massive upgradation of infrastructure and building of habitats and support to house thousands of additional troops along the LAC. 

India has also constantly stated that the relationship cannot go back to normal as long as the situation along the LAC continues and has repeatedly called for the restoration of the status quo along the LAC.