New Delhi: India stood firm in preventing a change of status quo on the northern borders and the country proved it will not get pushed under any pressure, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said on Thursday, referring to the border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.
In his address at the Raisina Dialogue here, Gen Rawat said China felt that it will be able to compel nations to give in to its demands by doing a little bit of "shove and push" as it has superior armed forces because of technological advantage.
"But, I think India stood firm on the northern borders and we have proven that we will not get pushed," he said at the virtual conference.
Read:|PM Modi sends strong message to China, says age of expansionism is over
The Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) said India was able to get the support of the international community by standing firm in preventing the attempt of changing the status quo in the region.
"They tried to ensure that they can change the status quo by the use of disruptive technologies without using force...They thought that India, as a nation, will succumb to the pressures that they have been putting on us because of the technological advantage that they have," he said, adding that did not happen.
Gen Rawat said the international community came to India's support to say that "yes there is an international base-rule order which every nation must follow. That is what we have been able to achieve."
India and China are locked in a military standoff in multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year that has significantly strained bilateral ties.
As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, India and China completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February. The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points.
"They feel that they have arrived and they have a superior armed force because of the technological advantage that they have," Gen Rawat said.
Read:|Rajnath pats Air Force for timely response during Chinese threat
"They have been able to create disruptive technologies which can paralyse systems of the adversary, and therefore, they feel that just by doing a little bit of shove and push, they will be able to compel nations to give in to their demands," he said.
Referring to the modernisation of the armed forces, Gen Rawat described the F-35 fighter jets of the US as a state of the art platform but added that he was not sure whether the US will share the technology with India.