According to a report by CNN the U.S. military is planning to hold joint exercises with India less than 62 miles from a disputed border area with China. The exercise will be held in October, and it is proposed to take place in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
The border dispute in this region was the cause of the Sino-Indian war of 1962 and it still is a major contributor to disagreements between China and India. Chinese and Indian soldiers often come into conflict when patrolling this area. China has recently built a bridge across the Pangong Tso lake which has further contributed to the dispute.
In June of 2020 fighting broke out between Chinese and Indian soldiers which reportedly left 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers dead. The fight was said to have included fists and mele weapons.
In October 2020, India and the U.S. signed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) to improve bilateral defense ties.
