News Analysis India

Tag: Ladakh faceoff

  • India-China faceoff: 11th round of Corps Commander-level talks make no headway

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: There was no headway on the disengagement in the 11th round of talk between the Corps Commanders of India and China who met at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Friday. 

    However, during the detailed discussion, the two sides highlighted that the way to de-escalation is disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in other areas of Eastern Ladakh.

    While the two sides agreed on the need to resolve the outstanding issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Saturday stated, “In this context, it was also highlighted 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.”

    Defence analysts said this is typical of China as it will now drag its feet.

    Major General SB Asthana (Retd) said, “It was visualised that after the disengagement of troops at the Pangong Tso area Chinese will be reluctant to disengage further because of shortage of leverages with India after having got down from Kailash Range heights.”

    The Chinese will express their willingness to talk further but will do nothing on ground, said Maj Gen Asthana.

    In addition, said Gen Asthana, with the improvement of weather and the indications by the Chinese to conduct further exercises, it is visualised that the troop concentration is unlikely to reduce in eastern Ladakh and the other side. “We are also well prepared as we have not lowered the guards and have maintained the equal number of troops.”

    The MoD said: “The two sides agreed that it was important to take guidance from the consensus of their leaders, continue their communication and dialogue 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, the MoD added.

  • Surprise disengagement in Ladakh as China, India pull back combat vehicles

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  After a nine-month-long stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, the situation appeared to ease a tad on Wednesday as both China and India began a “synchronized and organised” disengagement process. 

    While Indian sources said it was limited to armoured vehicles, the Chinese Ministry of National Defence claimed that the frontline troops from both sides along the Pangong Tso had started disengaging. Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defence, said: “The Chinese and Indian frontline troops at the southern and northern banks of the Pangong Tso started synchronized and organised disengagement from February 10.”

    It was in accordance with the consensus  at the ninth round of China-India Corps Commander level meeting, he added. From the Indian side, a senior Army officer confirmed the pullback of armoured vehicles, including infantry combat vehicles. “The armoured vehicles are moving back but troops at the frontline have not been thinned,” he said.

    The disengagement is expected to happen in phases, another senior officer said. “The infantry moving back will be the last step; it will depend on compliance of the phased disengagement from the Chinese side,” the officer said. The disengagement began on a day when the Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, in an article said that the two countries should meet each other half way in addressing problems while putting the boundary issue in an appropriate place in bilateral ties.

    “We should put the boundary issue in an appropriate place in bilateral relations…. “It’s important for China and India to respect each other, enhance mutual trust, seek common ground while shelving differences and meet each other half way,” Sun suggested.