After eight rounds of meetings between the corps commanders of the Indian and Chinese armies, there seems to be a ray of hope in favor of the de-escalation. Officials familiar with the eighth round of talks told News18 that the Chinese have indicated they are willing to reduce the escalation. “Momentum appears to be building in favor of both sides withdrawing their men and machines,” an official familiar with the news told News18.
Talks on November 6 between the Indian side led by Lt. Gen. PGK Menon, the 14th Corps Commander, and his Chinese counterpart began around 9.30am on the Indian side in Chushul and lasted about 10 hours.
An official who is monitoring the situation said the eighth round of the meeting saw “one-on-one conversations between the two corps commanders who posted which made it known to them that the Chinese were ready to withdraw.”
A second official in the safety net added that the first round of de-escalation could be from Pangong Tso. “The simultaneous withdrawal of troops from the north and south banks is on the table. Depsang, etc. will be discussed later,” the officer said.
China had opposed India patrolling to Finger 8 on the north shore of Pangong Tso. Officials said patrol issues were also discussed at the meeting and a solution has been reached on how to patrol without causing a nuisance to the other side.
A source told News18: “The minutes of the meeting, the details that were discussed now have been sent to the southern bloc for final approval.”
Officials News18 spoke with Accredited Foreign Minister S Jaishankar about the radical change in Chinese strategy. “The difference in China’s attitude was visible shortly after EM’s meeting with Wang Yi in Moscow. On the eve of the meeting, the two sides were face to face, the shooting could have occurred at any time, but after the Moscow meeting both sides began to inform each other when their transport trucks were moving. Local commanders strengthened communication. A few days later, even the tanks on both sides turned their weapons to look out of the enemy deployment, “he detailed the official.
He added that S Jaishankar continued to use his diplomatic experience to instill in China after the Moscow meeting that India will not withdraw and that China’s insistence on India’s unilateral withdrawal was unfair.
The harsh winters could also have played a role in China’s turnaround as assessed by the Indian establishment. “The fear of an increasing number of victims due to the drop in temperature could have influenced his decision,” said a safety net official. Although the Indian side declined to confirm any numbers, China’s assessment offer has lost men in eastern Ladakh as temperatures hover around -15.
Talks with corps commanders on November 6, which lasted nearly 11 hours, took place in Chushul, on the Indian side of LAC. The talks were candid, profound and constructive according to the joint statement issued by the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
A statement from the Indian side said: “Both sides have agreed to seriously implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, ensure that their front-line troops exercise restraint and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations.”
Another round of talks between the two parties could soon take place.
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