In an effort to achieve de-escalation and disengagement, stage is set for the 16th round of Corps Commander-level talks between India and China on July 17, 2022. On Sunday, the talks will take place on the Chinese side at Moldo. The talks come at a time when the armies of both continue to be locked in a standoff since May 2020. Fire and Fury Corps Commander Lt Gen A Sengupta will be leading the Indian side during the meeting where the main objective is to discuss disengagement from friction points along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. The two sides are having military level talks after a gap of almost four months, the 15th round of talks earlier this year on March 11.

Agenda of Talks

According to sources in the military establishment, “During the 16th round of talks both sides will talk about further disengagement at the friction points along the Line of Actual Control. The only way to resolve this is through dialogue and to find a resolution which is mutually acceptable.”

The two sides have been locked in a standoff for more than two years now and several rounds of talks at diplomatic, military as well as political levels have already taken place. There has been a partial disengagement of soldiers from some of the friction points; however a full resolution is a long way off.

So far …

As has been reported earlier, there has been disengagement of the armies of both countries from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso and Gogra-Hot Springs area. However the two sides continue to deploy around 60,000 troops each in the Ladakh region and have also deployed advanced weaponry.

Talks

Both sides since 2020 have had 15 rounds of talks – there were eight rounds in 2020 itself, then in 2021 there were five rounds of talks and in 2022 there were talks in January and then in March and now in July the 16th round is scheduled to take place.

Though so many rounds of talks have taken place, the issues related to Depsang Bulge in Daulet Beg Oldi sectors, Patrol Point-15 near Kongka La, and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector continue to be on the agenda of talks.

Foreign Ministers Meet

Earlier this month in Bali, Indonesia, on July 7, on the sidelines of the G-20 Foreign Ministers Meeting, external Affairs Minister (EAM) in his meeting with State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi called for an early resolution of all outstanding issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. In his talks with his Chinese counterpart, the minister reiterated that the relationship between the two countries is best served by observing: mutual interests, mutual respect, and mutual sensitivity. And also reiterated the need to sustain the momentum in order to complete disengagement from the remaining friction points and to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas.

According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the external affairs minister reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols between the two countries as well as the understandings reached between the two ministers earlier. Both ministers, according to the MEA at the end of talks in Bali, had  affirmed that the diplomatic and military officials should continue maintaining regular contact.

In May this year in an interaction with a select group of journalists, the Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande had said that the army aimed to “re-establish trust and tranquility” with the PLA.