NEW DELHI: Seeking to end a dangerous military standoff in the western Himalayas, India and China are formulating a plan that involves creating no-patrol zones, withdrawing tanks and artillery, and using drones to verify withdrawal, they say. Indian officials.
Tensions have soared since June, when at least 20 Indian soldiers died after being attacked by Chinese troops with stones and clubs. Sources put the casualties on the Chinese side at 35, but there has been no official recognition from China.
Indian officials say Chinese troops had intruded across the disputed border into a remote valley. China said the actions of the Indian soldiers had been provocative.
Since then, nuclear-armed Asian neighbors have deployed tens of thousands of troops to the rugged border between India’s Ladakh region and the Chinese-controlled Tibetan Plateau, increasing the risk of further confrontation even as they seek ways to reduce the climbing.
After months of uneven progress, the two sides are discussing a staggered disengagement from the high-altitude desert where temperatures have dropped to 18 degrees Celsius, three Indian government officials said.
“We have a firm plan for disconnection on the table, it is being discussed internally on both sides,” said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Under the plan that was shared during a meeting of top commanders last Friday, both sides will withdraw from the disputed Pangong Tso Lake area and establish a buffer zone.
Chinese soldiers will dismantle defense structures in various mountain foothills overlooking the lake and withdraw, officials briefed on the discussions said.
India, which has occupied heights on the southern shore of the lake, will also withdraw. Both sides will stop patrolling certain sections.
The 3,800 km long India-China border is unmarked and the two countries went to war in 1962.
While there have been recurring incidents over the years, troops on both sides have largely adhered to a long-standing protocol to avoid firing weapons across the border at high altitudes, although some warning shots were fired in September.
India’s defense and foreign ministries declined to comment on the details of the latest negotiations.
“When we have something to share, we will share it. Discussions are ongoing,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.
The three officials said military commanders from both sides could meet within a week to discuss further about the disengagement.
There was no immediate comment from China, but the state-controlled Global Times newspaper cited anonymous sources who said a withdrawal plan was being discussed in which India would first withdraw troops who had “illegally crossed the lines” to the south. by Pangong Tso.
Finding a mutually acceptable sequence for withdrawal could be difficult. Indian troops currently occupy heights on the southern shore of the lake, overlooking Chinese positions.
“If we empty from there, there is nothing to negotiate,” said a second Indian official.
According to the plan outlined by Indian officials, the tanks and artillery that two sides had deployed after the June confrontation would withdraw from the front line.
They were also discussing a way to verify troop withdrawal, including using drones over disputed areas at specific times each day, one of the Indian officials said.
“If you are going to establish buffer zones, verification is the key to this,” the official said.
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