Ladakh crisis: Sixth India, China military commander-level talks today
Military commanders of India and China are slated to meet at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at 9 am on Monday (September 21) to hold talks on the ongoing tussle between the two sides at the border and find ways to defuse the situation. In a first, a government representative will also attend the meeting.
This is the sixth such commander-level talk between the two countries since June 14 when 20 Indian soldiers died in a faceoff with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, escalating the military standoff at the LAC.
Related news: China blocked 5 patrol points in Depsang, months before stand-off: Report
According to reports, the Indian side will be represented by Lt General Harinder Singh of the 14 Corps while the Chinese side will be represented by PLA Major General Lin Liu. Navin Srivastava, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, Major General Abhijeet Bapat and Major General Padam Shekhawat will also attend the meeting.
Srivastava, is an expert on East Asia affairs and has been a part of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs.
Monday’s meeting will focus on implementing agreements on disengagement and de-escalation reached between the two countries during earlier military-level talks.
The Indian side is expected to raise the issue of Chinese transgressions at the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake and that of Depsang, where China of late has mobilised forces.
India is also likely to ask China not only to disengage, but to remove its military and motorised divisions from all key friction points in eastern Ladakh.
Related news: China illegally occupying 38,000 sq km in Ladakh: Rajnath tells Parliament
The talks come close on the heels of a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries at Moscow on September 10. Both sides agreed to disengage troops, avoid any further escalation of tension along the LAC and adhere to all past agreements to restore peace at the front.
