In 2-day military talks, India, China agree to resolve remaining issues in eastern Ladakh expeditiously

 In 2-day military talks, India, China agree to resolve remaining issues in eastern Ladakh expeditiously

PTI, New Delhi, Aug 16, 2023 : In a rare two-day military talks, India and China agreed to address the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh without delay, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a readout.

Talks at the 19th round of Corps Commander-level meeting at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point were described as "positive, constructive and in-depth", but no immediate breakthrough was reported in the disengagement of troops at remaining friction points.

"The two sides had a positive, constructive and in-depth discussion on the resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. In line with the guidance provided by the leadership, they exchanged views in an open and forward looking manner," the statement released simultaneously in Delhi and Beijing.

"They agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations through military and diplomatic channels," it said.

“In the interim, the two sides agreed to maintain the peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas,” the statement added.

It is learnt that the Indian side strongly pressed for resolving the lingering issues at Depsang and Demchok.

A statement issued by the MEA following the 18th round of military talks in April said that “the two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.”

The government refers to eastern Ladakh as the Western Sector.

In the interim, the two sides agreed to maintain the peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas," the statement concludes.

The discussions took place before Independence Day and less than a month before the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the G20 summit on September 9 and 10.

Since the commencement of the Corps Commander-level talks in 2020, both sides have successfully undertaken disengagement from five friction points — Galwan, the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, and Patrolling Points (PP) 15 and 17A in the Gogra-Hot Springs area.

Despite extensive diplomatic and military discussions leading to disengagement in various areas, Indian and Chinese troops remain in a standoff at specific friction points in eastern Ladakh for over three years. During the 18th round of military dialogue on April 23, the Indian side emphasized the urgent need to resolve ongoing issues at Depsang and Demchok.

The tensions had escalated in June 2020, after a clash in Galwan Valley led to 20 Indian soldiers losing their lives. The Chinese side had also suffered casualties but did not release the details.

After several rounds of military and diplomatic-level talks, a partial disengagement was reached in August 2021, when the forces on either side pulled back their troops from the Gogra-Hot Springs sector. However, the stand-off continues to remain in some of the other friction points of the Ladakh region.

In a related development, sweets were exchanged between the Indian Army and PLA troops in multiple border meeting points along the LAC on the occasion of India's Independence Day, the people cited above said. 

Exchange of sweets between the two militaries on occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day has been a tradition for the last several years. 

It is learnt that in the talks, the Indian side strongly pressed for resolving the lingering issues at Depsang and Demchok. A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) following the 18th round of military talks in April said that "the two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest." The government refers to eastern Ladakh as the Western Sector. 

The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. 

The Indian delegation at the talks was headed by Lt Gen Rashim Bali, the Commander of the Leh- headquartered 14 Corps while the Chinese team was led by the commander of the South Xinjiang military district. In the 18th round of the military dialogue that was held on April 23, the Indian side had pitched for resolving the lingering issues at Depsang and Demchok at the earliest. 

On July 24, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of a meeting of the five-nation grouping BRICS in Johannesburg. In its statement on the meeting, the MEA said Doval conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 had "eroded strategic trust" and the public and political basis of the relationship. 

It said the NSA emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquillity in the border areas so as to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral ties. 

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. 

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.