In an effort to resolve the ongoing standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, India and China recently held the 13th Corps Commander-level talks on Sunday.
India and China held the 13th Corps Commander-level talks at Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC on Monday to discuss disengagement from the Hot Springs area in eastern Ladakh.
The meeting lasted for about 8 hours, starting at 10:30 am and concluding at 7 pm. The Indian delegation was led by Lt Gen PGK Menon, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps.
The meeting was held to discuss the two recent incidents of attempted transgressions by the Chinese troops in the Barahoti sector in Uttarakhand and in the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh.
India-China standoff
The LOC issue between India and China started 17 months before, a phase that witnessed the deadly skirmish in the Galwan Valley on June 15 2020, when troops from both sides fought for hours which claimed the lives of Twenty Indian soldiers, who are the first fatalities on the LAC since 1975.
Recently the issue came into the spotlight in August, when close to 100 soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had transgressed the LAC in the Barahoti sector.
Similarly, just last week, Indian troops were said to have engaged in a brief face-off with their Chinese counterparts near Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh which was later resolved with talks from both sides.
Indian delegates at the meeting conveyed the need for an overall improvement in ties between the two countries, especially in the heated area of Charding Nala in Demchok.
The 13th LOC meet
Since the standoff in May 2020, troops of both the countries have been disengaged from PP14 in Galwan Valley, PP17A at Gogra Post, and the north and south banks of Pangong Tso.
But, a small number of Chinese troops are set to have been blocking the Indian forces from patrolling both in the Depsang Plains and on the Indian side of the Charding Nala in Demchok.
Talking about the situation, Gen Naravane mentioned that due to the standoff in May, the Indian Army had stepped up intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance efforts and was monitoring the PLA.
The 13 LOC meetings on Sunday’s took place after a gap of over two months, with the previous round of discussions held on July 31. Officials were hopeful of an agreement on disengagement from PP15 at the end of the meeting.
Post-meeting statements
On Monday, October 11th, a statement was published by the Indian government, “India suggested to resolve issues in the remaining areas, but the Chinese counterpart did not agree upon this term, and also talks could not provide any forward-looking proposals.
China has also put forward an official statement that India made ‘unreasonable and unrealistic demands. The Indian Ministry of External affairs blamed the Chinese for not ‘being agreeable’ after the talks between the two countries’ militaries failed.
India has previously rejected China’s allegations that Indian troops crossed over to the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, asserting that New Delhi has always taken a responsible approach towards border management and maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
