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Indian and Chinese military Commanders met on Sunday for the ninth round of talks regarding the stalemate on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The meeting between the two nations took place after a solid gap of two and a half months. The agenda of the meeting, that lasted for more than seventeen hours, was disengagement and de-escalation on the eastern Ladakh border. However, the discussions once again were indecisive.
The ninth round of Corps Commander Level talks between India and China ended at 2:30 am on Monday. The meeting lasted for more than 17 hours after starting at 11 am on Sunday at Moldo opposite Chushul in the Eastern Ladakh sector to address the ongoing military stalemate. The two nations have been engaged in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since April-May last year. While China began amassing massive military strength along the LAC, India responded with a befitting build-up. Multiple rounds of talks have failed to yield any significant result in defusing border tensions.
For the last eight months, both Indian and Chinese armies stand in a confrontation on the border LAC adjacent to eastern Ladakh. In a bid to break the deadlock, the Indian delegation led by 14th Corps commander Lt-General PGK Menon, including a joint secretary from the external affairs ministry, crossed over the Chinese territory at the Chushul-Moldo border point at 9.30 am for dialogue. From the Chinese delegation, the discussion was lead by the commander of the Southern Xingjiang District of PLA-Army on behalf of China.
The meeting, after the last round of Corps Commander-level talks was held on November 6, 2020, in Chushul in Eastern Ladakh, was called at the bidding of China. The agenda was nonetheless same to the previous 8 commander level discussions — soldiers of both the countries should withdraw from the LAC and the number of soldiers should also be reduced. Although the meeting ended inconclusively, it came as no surprise. Army sources had earlier said that the officials are not expecting a positive outcome in the short term. However, they said the dialogue has to go on. Experts, too, were not expecting any significant breakthrough through the military talks.
Former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd) had said it is a good thing that talks are going on and communication is being maintained between the two sides. “However, it is unlikely that any breakthrough will take place as there does not seem to be any common ground based on which an agreement can take place.” New Delhi and Beijing had decided to send forward their diplomats to peacefully discuss the issue to reduce the border tension.
It is important to note that since May last year, the Chinese army has tried to infiltrate several border points of the LAC. It was during this time that the violent clash in the Galwan valley occurred between the two military forces. India lost twenty soldiers in action due to this skirmish. The PLA too suffered heavy losses and several lives in the clash. Apart from this, Chinese troops also tried to infiltrate in Hot-Spring, Gogra and Finger area.
Chinese have occupied Finger 4 to Finger 8 in the north bank of Pangong lake. In late August, Indian troops took the Chinese by surprise to conquer strategic heights in the south bank of Pangong Tso in the Chushul sub-sector to overlook China’s Moldo garrison and the strategically sensitive Spanggur Gap. India repositioned its troops on Pangong Tso’s north bank as well.
During subsequent military discussions, China demanded that Indian troops move back in the Chushul sub-sector. India demanded status quo ante, seeking the return of all troops in the region to their original positions as of April 2020, and stressed that any resolution has to be for the entire region. All this rush for heights has led to both sides firing warning shots. At several of these heights, troops from both sides are positioned just a few hundred metres apart from each other.
The post India-China 9th Military Talks End Over 17 Hrs appeared first on Gulistan News.
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January 24, 2021 at 08:16PM
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