India-China talks involving lieutenant-general rank officers at LAC ended at 2 a.m.
New Delhi:
The last high-level talks between senior officers from India and China to discuss border tension along the actual line of control lasted 15 hours, sources said. The fourth round of talks involving officers of the rank of lieutenant general on the disengagement along the LAC ended at 2 a.m., sources said. The marathon meeting started Tuesday at 11:30 am in Chushul, on the Indian side of the LAC, the border without factor.
The actual content of the discussions between the Indian army and the Chinese has not yet been made public.
The Indian delegation was chaired by Lieutenant-General Harinder Singh, commander of the Leh-based 14th Corps, while Major General Liu Lin, commander of the military region of southern Xinjiang, was led by the Chinese side, reported l press agency PTI.
India and China have discussed the disengagement of LAC areas, including Pangong Tso and Depsang, in addition to the withdrawal of forces from rear bases within a specified time, sources said.
India insisted on the “total restoration” of the status quo in all of eastern Ladakh which existed before a violent confrontation in the Galwan valley in mid-June. Twenty soldiers sacrificed their lives for India, while 45 Chinese soldiers were killed or injured.
The fourth round of talks took place a few days after the start of the first phase of the disengagement process. The Chinese military has already completed the withdrawal of troops from Gogra, Hot Springs and the Galwan Valley, and has significantly reduced its presence in the “Finger Four” ridge line at Pangong Tso in the past week, as required by India.
The first talks took place on June 6, during which the two sides finalized an agreement to gradually disengage from all points of disagreement, starting with the Galwan Valley.
However, the situation deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clash on June 15, and the two sides significantly increased deployments in most areas along the LAC.
The second round of negotiations took place on June 22.
With PTI inputs
