Indian soldiers form a formation after disembarking from a military transport plane at a forward air base in Leh, in the Ladakh region, on September 15, 2020. (REUTERS / Danish Siddiqui)
The seventh round of India-China military talks is scheduled to begin at noon in Chushul, on the Indian side of LAC in eastern Ladakh.
- PTI New Delhi
- Last update: October 12, 2020 12:01 am IST
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India will push for China to withdraw soon and completely from all sticking points in eastern Ladakh in the seventh round of high-level military talks between the two countries on Monday, government sources said. The talks are scheduled to start at noon in Chushul on the Indian side of the Royal Line of Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, they said.
The agenda for the talks will be to consolidate a roadmap for the withdrawal of troops from all sticking points in eastern Ladakh, the sources said. The China Study Group (CSG), consisting of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Defense Chief of Staff, General Bipin Rawat and three chiefs on duty, India’s strategy for military talks was finalized on Friday.
The CSG is India’s key policy-making body on China. The sources said that India will strongly oppose any demand from China for the withdrawal of Indian troops from various strategic heights on the southern shore of Lake Pangong to kick start the disengagement process.
During the latest round of corps commander-level talks, the Chinese Army insisted on the withdrawal of troops by the Indian Army from various strategic heights in the mountainous areas of Mukhpari, Rezang La and Magar around the southern shore of Lake Pangong. . Indian troops occupied the strategic heights after the Chinese army tried to intimidate them on the southern shore of Pangong Lake on the middle night of August 29-30.
India has argued that the disengagement process must begin simultaneously at all points of friction. “India will push again for the troops to withdraw early and completely from all sticking points,” said a source, adding that the Chinese military has a responsibility to initiate the process.
In the talks, the two sides are also expected to study new measures to maintain stability on the ground and avoid any action that could trigger a new tension in the region where troops from both sides will face difficult conditions in the next four months due to harsh winters, the source said.
The Indian delegation to the talks will be led by Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, Commander of the 14th Indian Army Corps based in Leh, and will be composed of Lieutenant General PGK Menon and the Deputy Secretary (East Asia) of the Ministry of Affairs Exteriors. Naveen Srivastava among others.
After the sixth round of military talks on September 21, the two sides announced a series of decisions, including not sending more troops to the front, refraining from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoiding taking actions that could further complicate operations. stuff.
The military talks were held 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 a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). ) 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.
Days after the military talks, the two sides held diplomatic talks under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (CMMC) on border issues, but no concrete results emerged from the September 30 negotiation.
After the diplomatic talks, the MEA said it was agreed that the next round of the senior commanders meeting should be held at an early date so that both sides can work towards the prompt and complete withdrawal of troops throughout LAC according to with the current bilateral agreements and protocols.
Srivastava, who has been leading the Indian side in the WMCC talks, also attended the military talks on September 21 for the first time. It will be Lt. Gen. Singh’s last round of talks with the Chinese military, as he will take office as director of the prestigious Indian Military Academy around October 15.
Lieutenant General Menon will succeed Lieutenant Gen Singh as 14th Corps commander on October 14. In the previous six rounds of Corps commander-level talks, the Indian side led by Lieutenant Gen Singh insisted on the complete disconnection of Chinese troops as soon as possible, and immediate restoration of the status quo ante in all areas of eastern China. Ladakh before April.
The confrontation between the Indian and Chinese armies began on May 5. The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated after at least three attempts by the Chinese army to “intimidate” Indian troops along the northern and southern shores of the Pangong Lake area between August 29 and 29. On September 8, where for the first time in LAC in 45 years, even shots were fired into the air.
As tensions escalated further, the two countries’ foreign ministers held talks in Moscow on September 10, where they reached a five-point agreement to defuse the situation in eastern Ladakh. The agreement was the basis for the sixth round of talks at the Corps commander level.
In the past three months, the Indian Army has dispatched tanks, heavy weaponry, ammunition, fuel, food and essential winter supplies to several treacherous, high-altitude areas of the region to maintain combat readiness during the harsh winter of about four months from mid-October.
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