Xi honours PLA battalion posted near Arunachal

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday bestowed special honours on a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) battalion posted in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh for its “outstanding performance in safeguarding borders”.

Xi, who heads the Central Military Commission (CMC)  signed orders to give honorary titles, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

“Troop 77656 is now titled as a “model plateau battalion” for its outstanding performance in safeguarding borders,” the report quoted a statement as saying.

While the news report has not identified the battalion, Indian defence officials and strategic think-tanks have said it is Gangba 2nd Independent Battalion.