Indian, Chinese army officials discuss Pangong Tso standoff

Army delegations from India and China on Monday held discussions along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh to break the stalemate that began with a confrontation between rival patrol parties near Pangong Tso on the night of May 5-6, two senior officers said on the condition of anonymity.

The talks took place at two locations along the LAC -- brigadier-ranked officers met in the Galwan area and Colonel-ranked officers in Hot Springs -- as part of continuing efforts to resolve the standoff, said the first officer cited above.

“The talks were positive and frank. As long as talks are happening, we are moving towards a solution,” said the second officer cited above.

Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane last week said disengagement of Indian and Chinese forces was taking place in a “phased manner” along the LAC where the situation was “under control”.

India and China are continuing diplomatic and military engagements for an early resolution of the standoff between border troops, the external affairs ministry said last week. Naravane said on Saturday he was hopeful that perceived differences between India and China would be put to rest through the continued dialogue.

Army delegations, led by major general-ranked officers, met for the fifth time last week in eastern Ladakh to resolve the standoff.

Limited disengagement of forces at Galwan Valley, Patrolling Point 15 and Hot Springs began after a meeting between Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, commander of Leh-based 14 Corps, and Major General Liu Lin, commander of the People’s Liberation Army in South Xinjiang region, on June 6.

India is now focused on resolving the situation on the northern bank of Pangong Tso, which has been at the centre of the ongoing border scrap and where troops are still locked in a face-off.

Last month’s violent confrontations between Indian and Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh and north Sikkim triggered a military buildup on both sides of the LAC that stretched from Ladakh to Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, as reported by Hindustan Times on Friday.

The Chinese buildup began immediately after clashes between border troops in Ladakh and Sikkim on May 5-6 and May 9, respectively, and predated the June 6 meeting between Lieutenant General Singh and his Chinese counterpart.