India, PLA may hold LAC talks on July 17

THE GAP BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE ROUNDS OF TALKS HAS BEEN THE LONGEST SINCE THE STANDOFF BEGAN IN MAY 2020

The 16th round of corps commander level talks between the Indian and Chinese armies to ease tensions at friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh is likely to be held on July 17, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday. The latest round of talks comes after a gap of over four months. “The two sides will discuss further disengagement at frictions points along the LAC during the 16th round of talks. Dialogue is the only way to find a mutually acceptable resolution of outstanding problems,” said one of the officials cited above, speaking on anonymity.

The border standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh, which has cast a shadow over the bilateral relationship, entered its third year in May 2022. The Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had last held talks on the matter on March 11.

The gap between successive rounds of talks has been the longest since the standoff began in May 2020. Before this, the longest gap in talks was between the 11th and 12th rounds last year — three months and 22 days.

A full resolution is still not in sight even though the two sides have had partial success in disengaging rival soldiers from some friction points.

“As long as we are talking, hopes of resolving the lingering standoff are high. The dialogue is indicative of the intent of the two sides to resolve outstanding problems amicably,” said former director general of military operations Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retired). Despite disengagement of soldiers from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso and Gogra-Hot Springs area, the two armies still have around 60,000 troops each, and advanced weaponry, deployed in the Ladakh theatre. Experts earlier said the delay in holding the 16th round of talks indicated there were some differences in positions of both sides.

The two armies held eight rounds of talks in 2020, with the first held in June that year, five rounds in 2021, and two rounds so far this year.