The US Defence Department has said in a report that People’s Republic of China (PRC) officials, through official statements and state media, had also sought unsuccessfully to prevent India from deepening its relationship with Washington during and subsequent to the standoff, while accusing India of being a mere “instrument” of American policy in the region.

As the standoff continues, the PRC has expressed its aim to prevent the standoff from worsening into a wider military conflict. Additionally, Beijing has voiced its intent to return bilateral relations with New Delhi to a state of economic and diplomatic cooperation it had perceived to be improving since the 2017 Doklam standoff.

PRC state-controlled media forcefully asserted China’s intent to refuse any territorial concessions demanded by India, the report said. As of June 2021, the PRC and India continue to maintain large-scale deployments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and make preparations to sustain these forces while disengagement negotiations have made limited progress. Beginning in May 2020, the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) launched incursions into customarily Indian-controlled territory across the border and has concentrated troops at several standoff locations along the LAC. In addition, a substantial reserve force from the Tibet and Xinjiang Military Districts were deployed to the interior of Western China to provide a rapid response. The June 2020 skirmish in Galwan Valley, which led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, marked the first loss of life on the LAC since 1975.  In February 2021, the Central Military Commission (CMC) announced posthumous awards for four PLA soldiers, though the total number of PRC casualties remains unknown.

As of June 2021, the PRC and India continue to maintain large-scale deployments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and make preparations to sustain these forces