No breakthrough in India-China talks

There has been no immediate breakthrough during the “cordial and positive” high-level India-China military-level talks held in the Ladakh sector on Saturday, with New Delhi issuing a statement on Sunday that both sides had agreed to peacefully resolve the issue and also accepted that its “early resolution” would be in the interest of bilateral ties. India added the two sides would continue military and diplomatic talks to resolve the issue, indicating it could be some time before the issue is settled to mutual satisfaction.

As already reported, in these talks on Saturday, India asked China to revert to the status quo that existed in April at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. The Indian Army’s Leh-based 14 Corps commander, Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh, and the People’s Liberation Army’s South Xinjiang military region  commander, Maj. Gen. Liu Lin, participated in an meeting of over five hours at Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC to try to resolve the month-long standoff between the two armies.

In a Sunday morning statement, the external affairs ministry said: “A meeting was held between the corps commander based in Leh and the Chinese commander on 6 June 2020 in the Chushul-Moldo region. It took place in a cordial and positive atmosphere.

Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements and keeping in view the agreement between the leaders that peace and tranquility in the India-China border regions is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.”

It noted “in recent weeks, India and China maintained communications through established diplomatic and military channels to address the
situation in areas along the India-China border”.

During Saturday’s talks, India asked China to reduce the buildup of its troops at the LAC and revert to the status quo of April in Pangong Tso, Hot Springs and Galwan Valley.

The Chinese side had objected to road construction at the LAC, which increased the Indian Army’s capability to mobilise troops much faster in the mountainous terrain of Ladakh. India noted all construction activity was going on well within Indian territory.
India had in May accused China’s People’s Liberation Army of blocking Indian Army patrols on India’s side of the LAC, the de facto border. New Delhi also said such incidents sometimes occur as both sides don’t have a common perception of the LAC.

This followed two separate incidents in the Sikkim and Ladakh sectors, when Indian and Chinese soldiers punched each other, leading to troops on both sides being injured.