China gives its PLA army commander on India border a plum political post; planning drones

China has appointed General Zhao Zongqi, a former top People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer who oversaw the border with India, as the Deputy Chairman of the influential Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's Parliament.

Gen Zhao was replaced by Gen Zhang Xudong

Gen Zhao, 65, headed the Western Command during the Doklam faceoff in 2017 and the Ladakh standoff in 2020. As per regulations of the PLA, the retirement age for the top generals is 65. An official announcement by the NPC said General Zhao has been appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, an influential body of the NPC, news agency PTI reported.

Besides, Gen Wang Ning, who till recently headed Armed Police Forces, was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the NPC Committee on Constitution and Law and Gen Zheng Weiping, former political commissar of the Strategic Support Forces as Deputy Chairman of the NPC Committee for the Education, Science, Culture and Health.

Gen Zhao, who headed the Western Theatre Command during the 2017 Doklam standoff where the Indian Army stood up against the PLA's plan of laying a road close to the Indian border in an area claimed by Bhutan, was replaced by Gen Zhang Xudong in December last year.

The Ladakh standoff also happened under the watch of Gen Zhao. After the standoff which began on May 5 last year, the Indian and Chinese troops disengaged from the most contentious area of North and South Pangong Lake last month, holding talks to disengage from other areas in eastern Ladakh.

Gen Zhao Zongqi's appointment comes ahead of the annual meeting of the NPC beginning from March 5. The NPC along with the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an advisory body, will hold their annual get-together for a week.

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China may deploy drones on border with India 

Meanwhile, a Chinese legislator who leads a regiment in the country's southwestern border defence frontline will submit a proposal at the upcoming two sessions, suggesting that China should enhance border management and control by deploying more smart equipment like drones, as his experience and research indicate huge room for improvement despite the wide use of such devices by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Hou Yun, the commander of a border defence regiment affiliated with the PLA Tibet Military Command and also National People's Congress deputy, will submit the proposal at this year's two sessions, which are scheduled to convene this week, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday.

According to a Global Times report, Drones, currently in use by the Chinese frontline troops are mainly small or medium-sized multi-rotor drones. Such drones can vertically take off and land, making them operable at almost any location. They don't require an airfield and it's easy for frontline troops to learn their technical requirements, making them the first choice for border missions, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

But they are characterized by shortcomings such as those that the frontline troops have reported, and that is why the PLA could use larger, fixed-wing drones like the GJ-1 and GJ-2 armed reconnaissance drones, he said. During the Galwan clash, the PLA deployed drones developed by Shenzhen Keweitai Enterprise Development Co, a private firm, to conduct reconnaissance on the hostile forces, the Global Times report said.

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(With PTI inputs)