Doklam Disengagement: Indian And Chinese Troops Stepped Back Just 150 Metres, Remain On The Plateau

Following the announcement of disengagement at Doklam, Indian and Chinese troops had stepped back just 150 metres from their positions and continue to remain on the plateau, Sushant Singh of the Indian Express has reported.

According to the daily’s report, this development is the first stage of disengagement and is in complete accordance with the terms for withdrawal that the two sides agreed on during diplomatic negotiations in Beijing.

In the current state of deployment, the two groups of soldiers are at a distance of 300 metres. However, this is only an intermediary stage and the government believes that the two sides will further withdraw from their current locations. This will eventually result in restoration of status quo as on 16 June.

Complete withdrawal from Doklam, the report says, depends on the Chinese political calendar, which includes the Communist Party Congress next month. President Xi Jinping does not want to show any sign of weakness ahead of the meet. Sources quoted by the daily refused to put a firm date on completion of full withdrawal but were hopeful that it could be in a matter of weeks, if not days.