In an apparent bid to copy India, the Chinese Army is training its Tibetan troops for special operations in high altitude areas.
The Chinese Army held an exercise for its Tibetan troops who have been inducted into their service after going through a number of 'loyalty tests' including learning the mainland Chinese language and following their practices, sources told ANI.
The Chinese, sources said, are apparently trying to create a force like the Indian Special Frontier Force, which has many Tibetans in it who specialise in mountain warfare.
They along with other Indian Army units carried out swift operations to give the country an edge over the Chinese by capturing the heights along the Southern bank of Pangong Tso in August last year.
"The Tibetan troops of the Chinese Army are being trained for special operations and recently held drills in their rear areas," the sources said.
The Chinese have been trying to assimilate the Tibetans into their forces but the majority of the population in the Tibetan Autonomous Region hold anti-Chinese sentiment due to its oppressive policies and are followers of the Dalai Lama.
India and China have been in a military standoff position since the April-May timeframe last year and are yet to find solutions for de-escalating the tensions at the friction points including Hot Springs-Gogra heights.
The Indian and Chinese sides have been talking to each other since last year and have held multiple rounds of talks at both military and diplomatic levels but without much yield except for the limited mutual withdrawal of men by both sides on both northern and southern banks of the Pangong Tso.
The Indian agencies and forces have been getting inputs that the Chinese are attempting to recruit the young Tibetans from all across the vast Tibetan Autonomous Region.
( With inputs from ANI )
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