Disengagement at friction areas like Hot Springs, Gogra is expected after the twelfth round of top commander level talks between India and China concluded on Saturday, 31 July, reported The Print.
Military delegates from India and China deliberated for almost nine hours to resolve the border crisis on Saturday at Moldo on the Chinese side in the Ladakh region.
A “graduated disengagement” is likely to take place at the Gogra and Hot Springs areas and a formal joint statement may be issued by India on 2 or 3 August, reported The Print, quoting sources.
The Indian delegation was led by Leh-based XIV Corps chief Lt Gen PGK Menon, and Additional Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Naveen Srivastava.
The Chinese military delegation was led by the Commander of the PLA's Western Theatre Command, Xu Qiling, who was appointed earlier this month.
The build-up in Depsang was not being considered as part of the current standoff that started in May 2020 as escalation took place in 2013. India had insisted during the recent military commander meetings to resolve all the issues along the Line of Actual Control.
In April, during the 11th round of Corps Commander level talk, the focus was disengagement on the friction points at Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang.
On 20 February, Indian and Chinese militaries held the 10th round of dialogue to de-escalate tension along the Line of Actual Control.
Apart from 11 rounds of Corps Commanders-level talks, the two forces have also held 10 Major Generals level, 55 Brigadiers level talks and 1,450 calls over hotlines.
This meeting comes soon after senior government officials stated that the Chinese have erected tents on the Indian side of the Charding Nala in Demchok in eastern Ladakh, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Indian government officials said that even though they have asked the 'so-called civilians' who are the occupying the tents set up in Demchok, to go back, 'their presence remains'.
India and China have been engaged in diplomatic and military talks after tensions began rising along the high-altitude border in 2020. The situation escalated when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a skirmish in mid-June at Galwan Valley in Ladakh.
(with inputs from IANS, The Indian Express)
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