A clip showing peacekeeping personnel from both countries engaging in a friendly competition in Sudan has gone viral
Indian troops deployed in Sudan as part of a UN Peacekeeping mission have faced off against their Chinese counterparts in a tug of war contest. The viral video has garnered widespread attention in India amid tense relations between the two Asian powerhouses over an unresolved border dispute.
In the 49-second clip shared by news agency ANI, which claimed that Indian army officials had verified it, Indian soldiers, cheered by onlookers, can be seen pulling the rope along with their opponents into their area, signifying victory.
India and China share a vaguely defined 3,440km (2,100-mile) border called Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Himalayan region, where numerous skirmishes have occurred.
Tensions flared in June 2020, after their troops clashed in the disputed Galwan Valley, resulting in casualties on both sides.
#WATCH | Indian troops won a Tug of War that took place between them and Chinese troops during deployment in Sudan, Africa under a UN Peacekeeping mission: Army officials (Viral video confirmed by Indian Army officials) pic.twitter.com/EpnGKURPa3
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2024
Despite both countries making efforts to de-escalate and disengage, several friction points remain. New Delhi and Beijing have held more than 20 rounds of border talks since the Galwan incident, with the latest taking place in March this year. An Indian statement at the time noted the two sides had had an “in-depth” exchange of views on how to achieve “complete disengagement” and resolve the issues along the LAC.
According to a statement by the Indian External Affairs Ministry, both sides have also agreed to maintain “regular contact” through “diplomatic and military channels” to maintain the peace.
Diplomatic tensions between the two countries remain high. New Delhi rejects Beijing’s claims over Arunachal Pradesh state in the Himalayas, which India recognizes as its own territory. China protested after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the region in March to inaugurate a tunnel built to hasten Indian troop deployments to the area. New Delhi did likewise after Beijing purportedly renamed a dozen locations in the region, describing the move as “senseless.”
Earlier this month, India lodged a complaint with the Chinese over the alleged construction of a road in the lower Shaksgam Valley, an area ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963.
Meanwhile, Modi has stressed that New Delhi and Beijing must “urgently address” ongoing border disputes and resolve the “abnormality” in their bilateral ties. Last year, the Indian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa.
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