India-china military talks hit a roadblock
Despite five commander-level meets, stalemate on return to pre-april positions
NEW DELHI: Military talks with China on reducing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have hit a roadblock, with the Indian Army taking the hard line with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as it (the former) seeks to restore the status quo ante of early April in eastern Ladakh.
According to top officials who spoke to HT on Friday on the condition of anonymity, the Indian Army has asserted that the sanctity of the LAC is non-negotiable. The comments came on a day when defence minister Rajnath Singh assured the armed forces that India will not hesitate to deliver a “befitting reply” to any attacks from a foreign power.
Five rounds of top-level military talks have failed to break the deadlock due to serious differences between India and China that flared following transgressions by the PLA earlier this summer. “Talks are stuck in a stalemate because of the India Army’s insistence that the PLA must withdraw to positions held by it as of April 2020, and the Chinese reluctance to restore status quo ante in some areas,” said one of the officials cited above.
The Finger Area—a set of eight cliffs jutting out of Sirijap range overlooking Pangong Lake—has emerged as the hardest part of the disengagement process with little hope of immediate resolution. Disengagement has progressed somewhat smoothly at friction points in Galwan Valley and Hot Springs, but its pace remains sluggish in Gogra area.
“The Indian Army has clearly told the PLA that shifting of the LAC in any area is not acceptable. This was most recently conveyed on August 2, when corps commanders from the two sides met. There is no question of us budging,” said a second official.
There is growing consensus among Indian officials and China experts that military talks are unlikely to deliver further results, and the resolution of the issue will require political and diplomatic intervention.
“The PLA is facing unanticipated consequences of its misadventure in Ladakh because of the Indian Army’s strong response. It will ultimately have to look for a face-saving exit strategy. We have made preparations for a long haul,” said a third official.
De-escalation along the disputed border can only begin after complete disengagement between the two armies on the LAC.
The ground situation remains unchanged in Ladakh sector, where both armies have deployed almost 100,000 soldiers and weaponry in their forward and depth areas.
On Friday,a day ahead of Independence Day, defence minister Singh delivered a radio message to the armed forces, saying that the country believes in winning hearts and not land. “But it does not mean we will let our self-esteem be hurt. If enemy country attacks us, then we will give a befitting reply like every time,” he added.
The Union external affairs ministry separately said that several meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs and corps commanders had discussed the implementation of the disengagement process and “further steps to ensure it is completed at the earliest”.
Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava noted both sides had made “some progress” after reaching agreement on the broad principles of disengagement, but more needs to be done.