The Indian side pushed hard for a settlement to the outstanding concerns at Depsang and Demchok at the most recent round of military discussions in October. There were no obvious signs of a significant development during “constructive” diplomatic discussions between China and India on Thursday regarding plans to settle outstanding concerns and achieve total disengagement in eastern Ladakh.
The next round of senior commanders’ meetings will take place as soon as possible, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It was decided that both parties would like to accomplish the “objective,” which is to ensure stability on the ground and prevent any adverse incidents. According to the statement, after reviewing the circumstances, the two parties held a “open, constructive and in-depth” discussion about ideas for resolving the outstanding problems and achieving total disengagement in eastern Ladakh. The Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) provided the foundation for the virtual discussions.
The Indian delegation was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the Ministry of External Affairs. The director-general of boundary and oceanic affairs in the Chinese foreign ministry oversaw the Chinese team. “The two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas, and engaged in an open, constructive and in-depth discussion of proposals to resolve the remaining issues and achieve complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh,” according to a statement issued by the MEA.
“They further agreed on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border areas, ensure a stable situation on the ground and avoid any untoward incident,” added the statement. To accomplish the aforementioned goal, the parties decided to hold the next round of the senior commanders’ meeting as soon as possible and to carry on talking through diplomatic and military channels,” the MEA continued. The Indian side made a strong push for a resolution to the outstanding concerns at Depsang and Demchok at the most recent round of military discussions in October. Even though the two sides completed their disengagement from various places after protracted diplomatic and military talks, the Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a three-year battle in some of the most sensitive areas of eastern Ladakh. India has consistently argued that normal relations with China are contingent upon peace prevailing in the border regions. The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.
The two sides finished the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake as well as in the Gogra region as a result of several military and diplomatic discussions.
