STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi: India and China are likely to hold another round of military talks this week to discuss specific proposals for a possible breakthrough in the long-negotiated disengagement process in eastern Ladakh where their two armies are locked in an over six-month border standoff, authoritative sources said on Sunday.
The eighth round of Corps Commander-level talks on Friday had broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points and both sides would like to take forward the “constructive” dialogue to the next round with detailed deliberations, they said.
“Another round of talks is likely this week to discuss the proposals,” said a source. The next round of talks will also be at the level of Corps Commanders.
In a joint statement released earlier in the day, the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA) described the Friday talks as candid, in-depth and constructive.
The statement said it was agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and ensure that the frontline troops exercise restraint and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation.
The statement released both in Beijing and New Delhi said both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels, and take forward the discussions for the settlement of outstanding issues.
The talks were held in Chushul on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. It lasted for nearly 11 hours.
At the talks, the two sides also agreed to have another round of meeting soon.
The joint statement said the two sides had a candid, in-depth and constructive exchange of views on disengagement along the LAC in the Western Sector of India-China border areas.
“Both sides agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, ensure their frontline troops exercise restraint and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation,” the statement said.
“Both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels, and, taking forward the discussions at this meeting, push for the settlement of other outstanding issues, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” it added
Government sources said that at the talks the Indian Army strongly insisted on early disengagement of troops by China from all the friction points in eastern Ladakh.