The border situation between India and China is under control, army chief MM Naravane said today
Strong points
- “Any perceived differences we have will be resolved”: army chief
- A significant number of Chinese troops retreated 3 km: sources
- Tensions with China have increased after reports of skirmishes in Ladakh
New Delhi:
“The situation along our borders with China is under control,” army chief MM Naravane said on Saturday morning, adding that a series of meetings between senior military officials from the two sides had resulted in “a lot of disengagement. “and that” all perceived differences “. that we (India and China) will have put to rest “.
“I want to assure everyone that the whole situation along our borders with China is under control. We have a series of talks that started with the corps commander level and were followed by meetings at the local level between commanders of equivalent rank, “General Naravane was quoted by the ANI news agency.
“As a result, there has been a lot of disengagement and we hope that with the ongoing dialogue we have, all the perceived differences that we (India and China) will put an end to,” added the general.
Tensions between India and China intensified in early May after reports of skirmishes in the Pangong Lake region in eastern Ladakh. Chinese soldiers have also been reported to be patrolling the lake on powerboats and a Chinese helicopter raid.
Last month, satellite images also appeared to show the presence of four Chinese Air Force fighter jets at an airport about 200 km from Pangong Lake.
India, which has said that the Chinese military is interfering with normal patrols of its troops along the effective line of control (LAC) in Ladakh and Sikkim, has called for high-level talks between senior military commanders to defuse the situation.
The first round took place on June 6 at the meeting point of border personnel in Maldo, on the Chinese side of the LAC region.
The fifth round – at the level of the major general – was held Friday in the Galwan region, in eastern Ladakh, following talks at a similar level on Wednesday.
Also on Friday, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed by the head of the military, his air force and naval counterparts, and the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Bipin. Rawat.
According to the PTI news agency, Singh told the country’s top military commanders to be firm in handling the border situation, but also said the conflict should be resolved through talks.
Earlier this week, after the first round of negotiations, government sources confirmed that India and China have started mutual disengagement in parts of eastern Ladakh. Sources said a “significant” number of Chinese troops had withdrawn. To return the favor, India also brought back part of its troops and vehicles from these regions.
However, both sides remained engaged in an aggressive stance in areas such as Pangong Tso, Daulat Beg Oldie and Demchok.
China’s foreign ministry said in a statement last week that the two countries have agreed to work to maintain peace along the LAC region and resolve the impasse through talks.
The deadlock in eastern Ladakh lies in at least five key areas where India and China have had traditional differences in the perception of LAC in the region. It is the most serious since the two countries, which waged a brief war in 1962, were locked in a similar situation in Doklam, in the eastern Himalayas, for three months in 2017.
The Indo-Chinese border covers the LAC which is 3,488 km long. The two sides said that while awaiting a final settlement of the border issue, it was necessary to maintain peace and tranquility in the areas along the LAC region.
With the contribution of ANI, PTI
