All eyes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at 4 PM today

• Tension along the India-China border has been escalating since May despite the multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks.
• The announcement comes after India banned 59 Chinese apps.
• The third round of Corp Commander-level talks between India and China is scheduled today

Amid rising tensions between India and China at the border, and New Delhi's latest salvo banning 59 Chinese apps in the country, all eyes are now on the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled address at 4 PM today.

The much-awaited address to the nation has people guessing. Will it be about a possible escalation in conflict between India and China? Or, will it be about Unlock 2.0, the reopening of parts of the Indian economy from the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic?

Modi's address follows the ban on 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, UC Browser, and CamScanner to name a few on June 29. It has been touted as 'India's Digital Strike' against China by many of Modi's supporters who believe this will lead to a sharp fall in valuation for these apps who derive a big chunk of their users from India.


Tensions between India and China have been on the rise since May 5, when the two sides first came face to face along the border in Eastern Ladakh. Military delegates from both countries are scheduled to meet for a third time to resolve border issues on June 30 at 10:30 am in Chushul in the Leh district.

According to Chinese media house, Xinhua, China's military reserve forces will be formally placed under the "centralised and unified" command of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Central Military Commission (CPC), both headed by President Xi Jinping, from July 1 to ensure the ruling party's "absolute leadership" over it and build a world-class army.

The story so far
The last two meetings at a military level were held on June 6 and June 22 with a mutual consensus to disengage.

However, after the June 6 meeting, there was a violent clash between India and China on June 15 at the Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley, which left 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese troops dead.

India claims that the attack was planned and premeditated from the Chinese side. China claims that India did not abide by the agreed upon deescalation when they came to check the Chinese military's progress.

In the middle of diplomatic and military meetings, China was reportedly ramping up its troops and weaponry along the border — not just in Ladakh, but also in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, according to PTI.

“This time the talks will be held in the Chushul on the Indian side. The last two meetings were held in Moldo on the Chinese side,” sources told IANS. The report indicates that both sides will discuss “all contentious areas” of the current standoff between the two countries.

Indians have been calling for a boycott of Chinese products burning effigies of Chinese President Xi Jinping on the streets. Experts note that rather than attacking physical products, which would also have an impact on the local economy — India should focus on digital and virtual products.

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