CHINESE PLA INTRUDES 19 KM INSIDE INDIAN TERRITORY AT DEPSANG VALLEY
PLA Pitches Tents in Daulat Beg Oldie for 21 Days; Salman Khurshid Calls Beijing "Delightful"
On 15 April 2013, a platoon of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) crossed 19 kilometers deep across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Depsang Valley near Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in Eastern Ladakh and pitched permanent military tents.
While the Indian Army was prevented from mounting a proportional counter-encampment due to diplomatic hesitation in New Delhi, the standoff dragged on for 21 days.
During the crisis, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid minimized the incursion as a "small acne on a beautiful face" and went ahead with his official visit to Beijing, declaring it "delightful".
📌 Key Figures & Decision Makers
- ▸ Salman Khurshid (External Affairs Minister)
- ▸ A.K. Antony (Defense Minister)
- ▸ Manmohan Singh
"It is just one little pimple on an otherwise beautiful face. Everything is fine between India and China."
- • Strategic Analysis of the 2013 Depsang Standoff (Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), 2013)