In Ladakh, both sides seek disengagement

In what seems to be a breakthrough, during the Corps Commander level talks on Sunday, India and China "agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops" in eastern Ladakh.

A joint statement issued by Indian army and PLA said, both sides have agreed to "hold the 10th round of the Corps Commander level meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation."

India and China on Sunday held the 9th round of Corps Commander level talks to resolve the military stand-off in eastern Ladakh. The meeting, which began at around 11 am in Moldo on the Chinese side of LAC, went on for nearly 16 hours, till 2:30 am.

"The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual

Control in the western sector of China-India border areas," said the joint statement.

It added that the two sides agreed that this round of meeting was positive, practical and constructive and further enhanced mutual trust and understanding.

"The two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops. They also agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the 10th round of the Corps Commander level meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation," it said.

The two sides also agreed to continue their effective efforts in ensuring that frontline troops remain restrained along the LAC in the western sector of the China-India border, and jointly maintain peace and

tranquility. The Indian delegation was led by 14 Corps commander LtGeneral P.G.K. Menon and included a joint secretary from the external affairs ministry.

India and China have been involved in a military stand-off in eastern Ladakh for the last nine months. Each side has deployed around 50,000 troops along with tanks and artillery. Despite temperatures dipping to minus 30° Celsius in the region, both the countries have maintained troops at forward posts this winter at LAC in Ladakh.

Earlier in June and then in July, India and China had agreed to mutually move back from Galwan Valley, Gogra Post, Hot Springs and Pangong Tso. However, it was only in Galwan Valley that troops on both sides moved back to some extent. In Pangong Tso, the Chinese

Army had refused to move back from the ridgelines of finger 4 and whole of finger 5 to 8 area which it had illegally occupied in May. In Gogra Post and Hot Springs also there was no clarity on disengagement by China. Besides, in Depsang Plains, Chinese troops have been preventing Indian Army from patrolling.

China had been pushing India to vacate strategic heights which the Indian Army had occupied on the south bank of Pangong Tso in a surprise action in August. This has given the Indian Army a strategic advantage and choked Chinese movement in the sector.

China has been mainly interested in getting India vacated from these strategic heights. However, India's stand was that it will discuss disengagement of the whole Eastern Ladakh and not just a few points.