With Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) top officials reluctant to budge an inch from their position, India is looking for other avenues of dialogue to settle the current dispute with Beijing. The talks, which took place on Sunday between senior military officials from both the sides, were aimed at ensuring disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In what turned out to be around 12-hour-long marathon meeting, Chinese officials continued to be adamant on their position.
According to sources, New Delhi is keen to take the dialogue to higher level now, as the regional level senior commanders’ meet will not be able to break the ice. What will be next level of engagement is yet to be decided by the top leadership of both the sides. Sources said that India wants it to be at top diplomatic level. Will the dialogue be at the level of foreign secretary? On this, South Block officials do not want to say anything conclusively. But the diplomatic sources do not at the same time rule out the possibility of holding talks at the level of foreign secretary.
However, a final call in this regard has to be taken by the top political leadership in India. Sources believe that since China is on sticky wicket and has feeble arguments to offer it will shy away from holding the talks at foreign secretary level. “They know that they will be cornered in any meeting if held at that level,” said an official.
But somehow Beijing has to be forced to be on the diplomatic level dialogue table if military level meets haven’t achieved anything so far. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar has been briefed on what transpired in the meeting between commanders of India and China on Sunday. All the details have been given to National Security Adivsor (NSA) Ajit Doval. He will take stock of what is going on and in consultation with the top political leadership will decide where the future engagement has to be taken.
Sources privy to the development said that both the sides have agreed in principle on the need for disengagement. The fifth round of corps-commander-level talks focused on the Pangong Tso, where the Chinese have come in by about eight kilometres inside the LAC. Chinese expansionist approach is baffling every nation of the world, and it will be dealt with diplomatically, and if needed, militarily, said an officer. The Chinese side has been given tough message and their leadership has come under pressure to set a stage for dialogue at the top diplomatic level.