9th round of talks on LAC standoff today

NEW DELHI/JODHPUR: On the eve of military talks with China, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said on Saturday that India was ready to match China’s aggression in the eastern Ladakh theatre, where the two countries have been locked in a border row since May 2020.

”If they (China) can get aggressive, we will also get aggressive. We have full preparations (to meet any eventuality),” the IAF chief said during a media interaction in Jodhpur, where India and France are carrying out joint air force drills.

Bhadauria’s comments came a day ahead of the ninth round of military talks with China to defuse border tensions in Ladakh. The corps commanderlevel talks between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will be held at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on Sunday, said officials familiar with the development.

Senior Indian and Chinese commanders last met on November 6. The situation in the Ladakh sector remains tense and the ongoing military dialogue has not led to any breakthrough. “Talks may not yield a positive outcome in the short-term but the dialogue has to go on,” said one of the officials cited above.

It is a good thing that talks are going on, but it is “unlikely that any breakthrough will take place as there does not seem to be any common ground”, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd).