A People’s Liberation Army soldier, who was captured by the Indian army for diverting through the contested Royal Line of Control (LAC) in Ladakh, was returned to China at the Chushul Moldo meeting point on Tuesday, authorities said. .
The soldier was detained in the Demchok sector of eastern Ladakh amid the ongoing border confrontation in the sensitive theater where both armies have deployed more than 50,000 soldiers each along with advanced weapons and systems.
The PLA soldier was identified as Corporal Wang Ya Long. In a previously issued statement, the Indian army had said that it had received a request from the PLA regarding the whereabouts of the missing soldier.
“According to established protocols, it will be returned to Chinese officials at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point after completing the formalities,” the army statement said.
The PLA had issued a statement Monday night saying that a soldier disappeared while searching for lost yaks on the night of October 18. “After the incident, the Chinese border guards took the initiative to report the situation to the Indian side as soon as possible, and hoped that the Indian side would assist in the search and rescue,” added Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesman for the Western Theater Command. .
While the Ladakh theater remains tense, during the seventh round of talks by military commanders on October 12 to defuse tension in LAC, the Indian side demanded a total disconnect at all critical points and the restoration of the status quo before the early April. The two sides agreed to continue the dialogue process to reach a mutually acceptable solution for an early disengagement in eastern Ladakh.
India and China are expected to hold the eighth round of military talks this week, although a date has yet to be announced.
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