India and China in a marathon meeting on Monday discussed the ways to end the standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The meeting assumes significance in view of the fact
that it is being seen as a crucial testing exercise whether a five-point agreement — arrived at jointly between foreign ministers of India and China earlier this month that set the stage for an apparent truce — can be carried forward.
According to sources, the meeting between Corps Commanders of India and China to discuss standoff
in Ladakh started around 10 am and was continuing till late night. 14 Corps Chief Lt Gen Harinder Singh, and Lt Gen P.G.K. Menon along with a Joint Secretary from the MEA were attending the meeting from Indian side at Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC.
This is the sixth round of talks at the level of senior military commanders. However, the presence of the
MEA’s senior official is being seen as an important development. Naveen Srivastava, joint secretary in the Indian foreign ministry who heads the China desk, is attending the meeting. The previous rounds of talks at the level of corps commanders did not see the inclusion of a diplomat.
According to sources, an MEA official attending the meeting is basically to keep the discussions with the political parameters of the relationship. This is also aimed at ensuring the larger border understandings between the two sides, said sources. “Indian side is strongly insisting that Chinese PLA must restore the status quo ante of April this year to resolve the standoff,” said sources.
Indian and Chinese foreign ministers met in Moscow on 10 September and hammered out a five-point consensus on disengagement. India has made it clear to China that a complete disengagement would be an essential pre-requisite for de-escalation.
In another development, Menon is expected to take over from Singh next month as the head of the Leh based 14 Corps. Besides Singh and Menon, the Indian delegation included Maj General Abhijeet Bapat, Maj General Param Shekhawat and the head of the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police Deepam Seth.
The Chinese delegation was headed by Maj General Liu Lin of the South Xinjiang Military region as on previous occasions. The talks this time are taking place at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control border in Ladakh.
Sources said that the MEA’s joint secretary categorically told the Chinese side that five-point agreements should be respected by PLA troops and disengagement and de-escalation should be started right away. “Unlike previously when PLA utterly disregarded pacts of 1993 and 1996, the Chinese forces should now respect the five-point agreements reached between S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi on 10 September in Moscow,” said sources privy to the development.
Sources said that the meeting may be continued on Tuesday also as every detail of diplomatic and military aspects of the dispute is being examined and discussed. Indian side is insisting on complete disengagement by the Chinese troops. Moreover, the Indian team is also trying to ensure that in future similar aggressive activities are not repeated, sources said.