Partial disengagement at LAC follows Chinese Official Statement
Following the Government of India’s reaction to the India-China border personnel meeting, the Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, tweeted Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying as saying the situation along the border was stable and under control.
The spokesperson acknowledged the border situation was discussed and added that “close diplomatic and military channels” are open between the two countries and that both the countries “have the capacity and willingness to properly solve relevant issues through negotiation and consultation”.
One of his tweets read, “Hua stressed China and India agreed to implement the important consensus reached by leaders, not to turn differences into disputes, work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas, so as to create a favourable atmosphere for stable development of bilateral relations.”
In the Indian statement, the government had emphasised that both the sides will resolve the ongoing stand-off with dialogue through established channels and had suggested that more meetings are likely before a resolution is reached at.
Within 24 hours of such a statement, some degree of disengagement has been reported along the Line of Actual Control as per which both the sides have reduced their military build-up to some extent and have pulled their troops back from the frontlines in reciprocation, with the Chinese pulling back their personnel in Galwan river valley and the Hot Springs area. More military and diplomatic engagement is expected over next few weeks in which it is hoped that a more substantial roadmap would be hammered out for further disengagement.
The Indian stand on the situation continues to be based on the restoration of the status quo ante as of April 2020 as per which the Chinese would have to pull back to their side of the de facto border and do away with area-denial practices, most significantly on the northern bank of Pangong Lake where the Indians would earlier patrol up to Finger 8 but have been unable to since May 5-6 because of the Chinese advances.
Commenting on the development and highlighting the possible roadmap ahead, national security analyst Nitin Gokhale said that there would be brigadier-level and major-general level talks in coming days to discuss each of the stand-off points.
“The expectation from both the sides is that the deinduction at three of the four points of stand-off, PP 14, 15, and 17-A would get resolved in these talks. The only point of contention that will then remain is of Finger 4 [on Pangong Lake]that will be taken up in another round of lieutenant general-level talks after the brigadier and major-general level talks,” said Gokhale.
