Indian and Chinese military commanders will meet in the coming days to discuss comprehensive disengagement from all sticking points in Ladakh as the first step towards de-escalation. This is the crucial outcome of a concise meeting between Foreign Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
“The immediate task is to ensure a complete withdrawal of the troops in all areas of friction so that there are no adverse incidents in the future. The final disposition for the deployment of the troops to their permanent posts and the phase of the process will be worked out by the military commanders on the ground. State Councilor Wang Yi agreed that the de-escalation should follow a total disconnection, “said a senior government official.
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While China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi wanted bilateral ties to continue on a parallel path with the ongoing border friction in East Ladakh, he had no answers to probing questions from EAM Jaishankar, who He asked about the huge buildup of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in occupied Aksai Chin. Currently, the PLA has deployed more than 50,000 men, 150 aircraft, tanks and missiles to pressure the Indian army in LAC.
According to authoritative government sources, Jaishankar made it very clear to Councilor Wang that the positive bilateral ties in the last two decades were due to peace on the border and that the PLA buildup had a direct implication on the relationship between two countries. “Jaishankar told Wang that the good things in bilateral relations are due to peaceful borders, just as relations will deteriorate if the borders are not calm,” said a senior official.
Although State Councilor Wang could not explain the sudden buildup of the PLA in the area in contravention of the 1993-96 agreement, he only spoke about the troop reduction in the deep areas.
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“The joint five-point statement is the issues on which the two parties agreed to disconnect at the border. The statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry is its perception of the dialogue that was not agreed to by the Indian side. EAM Jaishankar said that the two sides must respect past agreements and protocols in order for the border to be peaceful, ”said a Moscow official.
However, EAM Jaishankar was sincere enough to tell his Chinese counterpart that there was no point in reducing troops in deep areas when front-line troops are on each other’s necks. The two ministers will now go back to their respective political leaders for instructions that the complete disconnection of all sticking points will be the first step towards restoring peace on the border. “Given the improvement of the Chinese infrastructure in the border areas compared to India, mutual disconnection is imperative before losing depth in depth or else the PLA will occupy the dominant heights in the Line of Control (LAC) more faster than the Indian Army, “said one officer.
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