India blames Chinese patrol shifts as Arunachal border tensions persist

Following fresh disruptions along the disputed India-China border, New Delhi has blamed Chinese forces for deviating from established patrolling patterns, a day after the head of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) said face-offs between troops from the two countries were continuing at several points in Arunachal Pradesh.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that both sides continued to use diplomatic and military channels to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings or miscalculations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), DW reported.

“As we have noted in the past, the situation in India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns,” Jaiswal said.

He added that New Delhi and Beijing had agreed to discuss ways of improving their understanding of the LAC in certain areas to strengthen border management.

“Maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations,” he said.

The remarks came a day after ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapur said Indian and Chinese troops had recently been involved in face-offs at select points along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and that the confrontations were still continuing, as reported by DW and The Times of India.

TOI said Kapur also called for stronger drone and anti-drone capabilities, arguing that conventional military resources and infrastructure alone were not sufficient given the modernisation of China’s People’s Liberation Army.

It was reported that around 70 per cent of the INR400 crore allocated by India’s Home Ministry for ITBP modernisation had been earmarked for upgrading drone warfare capabilities. The force is also raising more “Shaurya” commando platoons trained in mountain warfare, new-generation weapons and unarmed combat.

Kapur said the ITBP needed to redefine itself as a high-altitude fighting force distinct from the army and other paramilitary forces.

Border dispute remains unresolved

The latest tensions come despite efforts by India and China to stabilise relations following years of confrontation along their disputed Himalayan frontier.

The Times of India noted that bilateral ties had shown signs of improvement since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Kazan in 2024.

During their meeting last month, Modi stressed the need for both sides to observe existing agreements and understandings on border-related issues, the newspaper reported. The two leaders also reiterated their commitment to a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable” resolution of the boundary dispute.

The status of Arunachal Pradesh remains one of the most contentious issues between the two countries.

China does not recognise Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and refers to the region as “Zangnan”.

In August, Beijing rejected India’s publication of what New Delhi described as standard names for 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh.

In Augyut, Xinhua quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun as saying that “Zangnan region is China’s territory”.

Guo said India’s move to replace names used by China with what New Delhi called standard names was “illegal, null and void” and would not alter Beijing’s territorial claim, Xinhua reported.

India administers Arunachal Pradesh and rejects China’s claim over the state.

Congress questions government over face-offs

The continuing face-offs have also drawn criticism from India’s opposition Congress party.

DW reported that senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned Prime Minister Modi over the border situation and accused the government of remaining silent on the issue.

जहां एक तरफ़ चीन के सामने घुटने टेकने वाले प्रधानमंत्री की ओर से लगातार रियायतें देने का सिलसिला जारी है, इसी बीच ITBP के महानिदेशक ने अरुणाचल प्रदेश में चीनी PLA के साथ भारतीय सीमा के भीतर हालिया टकरावों में ITBP के प्रदर्शन की सराहना की है, जो बिल्कुल सही भी है। लेकिन… pic.twitter.com/ziP7WkWOyO

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 23, 2026

“The nation is asking: Amid ongoing tensions on the border, what kind of nationalism is this softness toward China and the growing economic dependence?” Ramesh said in a post on X.

TOI also reported that Congress questioned whether the pre-May 2020 status quo had been restored along the border and whether Indian forces could patrol up to previously accessible points in Arunachal Pradesh.

The renewed scrutiny comes as India and China continue diplomatic and military talks aimed at managing their disputed frontier while simultaneously attempting to improve broader bilateral relations.