India–China ties improved, ‘New Normal’ warning issued to Pakistan
New Delhi: India has reinforced its on-ground mechanisms along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) even as it sharpens its deterrence posture, Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi said on Monday, signalling renewed stability in ties with China alongside a firm stance against Pakistan-backed terrorism. Speaking at an interactive session ahead of the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, he said the past year has seen tangible progress in managing the frontier with China, driven by sustained political and military engagement.
Gen. Dwivedi said two expert groups created after the October 2024 Modi–Xi meeting have been steering negotiations on the boundary issue, while a patrolling framework finalised last October and an LAC management pact sealed in September have been functioning smoothly. “There has been a lot of improvement in our relations since last October,” he said, crediting the return of political-level dialogue for the shift.
Tracing the diplomatic trail, he pointed to discussions at the BRICS Summit in Kazan and the SCO Summit that followed, during which Modi and Xi agreed to maintain momentum in bilateral ties and reiterated that the two Asian powers were “development partners, not rivals.” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s blunt message to his Chinese counterpart in June — that both sides needed to decide whether “the ice should melt or not” — helped nudge the process forward, he added.
On the ground, the Army Chief reported a sharp rise in routine contact between field units. “We held 1,100 interactions in the last one year — roughly three a day,” he said. Communication, once confined to Corps Commander-level talks, has now been pushed down to battalion and company commanders to ensure rapid resolution of issues and avoid bureaucratic delays. Disengagement of troops and equipment, he said, has moved ahead at multiple friction points.
Shifting focus to Pakistan, the Army Chief delivered an unambiguous warning that India will deal with terrorists and their sponsors “alike,” underscoring that the era of restraint in the face of cross-border attacks is over. He said New Delhi’s “new normal” in its Pakistan policy had changed the equation and would pose a challenge to Islamabad if it continued supporting anti-India groups. “Talks and terror can’t go together; blood and water cannot flow together,” he said, adding that India “is not scared of any blackmailing.”
Gen. Dwivedi said India’s deterrence posture is robust and backed by strong political will. On the internal front, he noted a steep decline in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and suggested that improving conditions in Manipur could pave the way for a possible visit by President Droupadi Murmu.
