LAC Disengagement: India, China Hold 11th Round of Military Talks

The 11th round of military talks between India and China lasted for 13 hours.

India and China have been engaged in a standoff at the LAC.

(Photo: The Quint)

India and China held the 11th round of Corps Commander-level talks on Friday, 10 April in Chushul-Moldo border to discuss disengagement from patrolling points of the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.

The 11th round of military talks concluded by 11:30 pm, lasting for 13 hours, and the Corps Commanders discussed disengagement of the remaining friction points, such as Gogra heights, Hot Springs and 900 square km Depsang Plains, told army sources to ANI

India and China have been engaged in diplomatic and military talks after tensions began rising along the high-altitude border in April 2020. The situation escalated when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a physical clash in mid-June at Galwan Valley in Ladakh.

The dialogue held is to negotiate the next steps, after the disengagement of the military forces of both countries from both northern and southern banks of Pangong Lake in mid-February.

What Did The Ministry of Defense Say?

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense announced on 10 April that India and China had a detailed exchange of views for the resolution of disengagement along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

The two sides agreed on the need to resolve the outstanding issues in an “expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols,” said the statement.

“In this context it was highlighted also that completion of disengagement in other areas would pave the way for two sides to consider de-escalation of forces and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquility and enable progress in bilateral relations”, said the statement.

The Ministry of Defense added that the two sides agreed to take guidance from the consensus of their leaders, and work towards a “mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.”

“They also agreed to jointly maintain stability on the ground, avoid any new incidents and jointly maintain peace in the border areas,” concluded the statement.

What Has Happened So Far?

The tenth round of disengagement talks between India and China, which were held on 20 February, had lasted around 16 hours.

Following the round of talks, the Ministry of Defence said that the two sides “positively appraised the smooth completion of disengagement of frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area.”

Further, according to the Defence Ministry, the two sides noted that it was a significant step forward that provided “a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC in Western Sector.”

As per images and videos accessed by The Quint via Indian Army sources, the Indian and Chinese troops were seen moving away tanks, dismantling structures and deinducting troops from the sites, as was agreed upon in the ninth round of military commander level talks.

Earlier in February, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had told Parliament that both sides had agreed to pull back troops in “a phased, coordinated and verified manner” around Pangong Tso, after which military commanders would discuss ending the standoff in other parts of Ladakh.