NEW DELHI: After a gap of more than two and a half months, India and China held the ninth round of military talks on Sunday that specifically focus on ways to advance the long-negotiated disengagement process in the east. Ladakh while thousands of his troops remained deployed at friction points under freezing conditions.
The Corps Commander-level meeting began around 10 a.m. at the Moldo border point on the Chinese side of the Real control line (LACQUER) in eastern Ladakh and continued until after 9 p.m., sources said.
People familiar with the negotiations said India insisted that China has a responsibility to carry out the process of disengagement and de-escalation at sticking points in the region.
India has argued that the withdrawal process must start simultaneously at all sticking points and has not accepted any selective approach.
About 100,000 Indian and Chinese troops are deployed in eastern Ladakh, as both sides have stood their ground and shown their readiness for a long haul amid ongoing diplomatic and military talks to find a friendly solution.
Reflecting India’s steadfast approach to handling the situation, Army Chief General MM Naravane had said that Indian troops will stand firm for as long as it takes to achieve “national goals and objectives”, even while waiting. an amicable settlement of the dispute through negotiations.
Sunday’s talks took place nearly two weeks after India returned a People’s Liberation Army soldier to China after detaining him on the southern bank of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh. India’s gesture is known to have generated a positive atmosphere.
The Indian delegation at the talks was led by Lt. Gen. PGK Menon, the commander of the 14th Corps based in Leh.
In military talks, India has always been demanding the restoration of the status quo ante in all areas of eastern Ladakh before April. The confrontation had started on May 5.
The eighth and final round of talks took place on November 6, during which both sides discussed extensively the withdrawal of troops from specific sticking points.
The seventh round of corps commander-level talks took place on October 12, where China lobbied for Indian troops to withdraw from various strategic heights around the southern shore of Pangong Lake.
However, India insisted that the disengagement process must start simultaneously at all friction points.
Last month, India and China held another round of diplomatic talks under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border issues. However, no concrete results emerged from the meeting.
Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a series of decisions that included not sending any more troops to the front, refraining from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoiding taking measures that could further complicate matters.
This round was conducted with a specific agenda to explore ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of an Organization of Shanghai Cooperation (OCS). conclave.
The pact included measures such as the rapid withdrawal of troops, avoiding actions that could increase tensions, compliance with all agreements and protocols on border management, and steps to restore peace in LAC.
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