Ladakh standoff: India, China hold 9th round of Corps Commander-level talks

On Sunday, India and China held a 16-hour long marathon military dialogue that eneded at after 2 a.m. on Monday to resolve the ongoing nineth month long border dispute and thinning of forces along the LAC.

According to the report, at least 20 Chinese army personnel were also injured in the clash along LAC.

Last May this was one of the original face-off sites between the troops of both the countries, in which nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel were involved near Nakula Pass in the Sikkim sector.

Sources confirm that some Chinese soldiers tried to move into the Indian territory.

Earlier, in an interview with a leading Indian news channel, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India will not reduce its troop strength unless China initiates the process.

Tensions in the area flared previous year after a clash between groups of Indian and Chinese troops left at least 20 soldiers dead in June. It is learnt that India's gesture has generated a positive atmosphere. The ninth Corps Commander level talks between both the countries took place at the Moldo Meeting point in Ladakh region.

Lieutenant General P.G.K. Menon, the Corps Commander of Leh-based headquarters 14 Corps, led the Indian delegation.

In the military talks, India has all along been demanding restoration of status quo ante in all areas of eastern Ladakh prior to April. Officials familiar with the developments told OneIndia that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and escalation at the friction points.

It comes after a gap of two and a half months since the last commander-level talks were held in November 2020. However, no concrete outcome emerged from the meeting.

Sources said that India would focus and insist China to implement the five-point agreement decided between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow in September past year, on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave.

The situation worsened in mid-June when Chinese soldiers attacked the Indian side in Galwan Valley.

The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.