A Chinese soldier who was detained by the Indian army after he was diverted to India in the Ladakh sector on October 19 and was returned the following night was carrying a military sleeping bag, a storage device and a mobile phone along with a charger, officials familiar with the events said on Friday.
Corporal Wang Ya Long was detained in the Demchok sector of eastern Ladakh after he crossed the controversial Royal Line of Control (LAC), amid continuing border tensions with China in the sensitive region where both armies have deployed more than 50,000 soldiers each with advanced weapons and systems.
“The PLA soldier was apparently moving from place to place on the Chinese side of LAC when he lost his way. He was carrying a sleeping bag, a storage device, his military identity card and a cell phone with a charger. He was released after a thorough interrogation and the necessary paperwork, ”said the officials.
It was returned to the PLA at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point, where the senior commanders of both armies have been holding military talks to reduce friction in the eastern theater of Ladakh.
On the day he was detained, the military said in a statement that Corporal Wang had been provided with medical assistance, including oxygen, food and warm clothing to protect him “from the vagaries of extreme altitude and harsh weather conditions.”
Indian and Chinese military commanders met for the seventh time on October 12 in their latest attempt to defuse tensions. The Indian side demanded a total disconnection at all hot spots and the restoration of the status quo before early April during the talks.
The two sides agreed to continue the dialogue process to reach a mutually acceptable solution for an early disengagement in the East Ladakh theater. In a joint press release issued a day after the talks, they said they had a better understanding of the positions of others in the sector after the latest round of talks.
India and China are expected to hold the eighth round of military talks soon, though a date has yet to be announced.
The situation in the eastern theater of Ladakh will also be high on the agenda of the upcoming conference of army commanders to be held in New Delhi on October 26-29.
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