Even as the Central government has never admitted it, #China had occupied 640 sq km of Indian territory in Eastern #Ladakh during the second term of the #UPA regime under Prime Minister #ManmohanSingh.

Photo: IANS (File)

In 2013, former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran after his visit to the region had informed the government that the People& #39;s Liberation Army (PLA) patrol had set a new Line of Actual Control ( #LAC), thus occupying 640 sq km of #Indian territory in Eastern #Ladakh.

The undemarcated #LAC came into existence when China in 1962 occupied Aksai Chin, an uninhabited high-altitude wasteland of the fmr state of #JammuandKashmir, and now part of the Union Territory of #Ladakh. The state was bifurcated into two Union Territories in August last year.

The land grab in 2013 by the PLA happened after India had signed 9 agreements,including the #BDCA,the same yr in Mar ahead of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang& #39;s visit to India.Incidentally,proposal for BDCA was presented by China,which had been keen to get it signed before Li& #39;s visit.

Though China undermined the agreement soon after it was signed when it led an incursion in Depsang area of #Ladakh in Apr,the standoff at #Doklam & now at both Eastern (AP & Sikkim)&Western (Ladakh)frontiers between the two countries has left the sanctity of the #BDCA in tatters.