India-China Agree To Stop Sending More Troops To LAC Frontline, Refrain From Unilaterally Changing Status Quo

India and China agreed to implement the consensus reached by theirs leaders over the border issue during the 14-hour-long diplomatic-military talks in Moldo to resolve border disputes, the Indian Army stated on Tuesday.

Both the countries will further carry out talks to resolve the border dispute.

On 21 September, the Indian and Chinese Senior Commanders held the 6th round of the Military Commander-Level Meeting.

"The two sides had candid and in-depth exchanges of views on stabilising the situation along the LAC in the India-China border areas," the Indian Army said in a statement.

"They agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen communication on the ground, avoid misunderstandings and misjudgements, stop sending more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoid taking any actions that may complicate the situation."

The two sides also agreed to hold the seventh round of talks for the military commander-Level Meeting as soon as possible, take practical measures to properly solve problems on the ground, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border area.

This time both countries' delegation had respective foreign ministry representative as the talks started at 9 am and ended at 11 pm.

It was for the first time that the Indian delegation had two Lieutenant Generals, two Major Generals and a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Headed by Lt Gen Harinder Singh, Commander of the Leh based 14 Corps, the Indian delegation had Lt Gen PGK Menon from the Army headquarter in Delhi.

Menon will eventually take over as Commander of the Leh based 14 Corps in November.

Joint Secretary in the East Asia division of the MEA Navin Srivastava was there to ensure that deliberation with China takes place on an agreed five-point roadmap, including quick disengagement of troops, between both the countries.

The countries reached a five-point roadmap during the talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Russia's Moscow on 10 September.

The delegation had also Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Inspector General Deepam Seth and four brigadiers. This was the sixth round of Corps Commander level discussion.

It was 14 Corps Lt Gen Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin who have been meeting to de-escalate the tension at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh.

The first meeting took place on 6 June.

Thereafter though a barbaric attack at patrolling point 14 in Galwan Valley on June 15 was carried out by Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in which 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed.

These were the first casualties faced by Indian Army in a clash with the PLA since 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh.

In the North bank of Pangong Tso, the troops are in an eyeball to eyeball situation between Finger 3 and Finger 4 where warning shots have been fired in the air by both the countries' armies.

In the South bank of the lake, the troops are a few metres away at Spanggur Gap, Mukhpari, and Rezang La.

China first made provocative military moves. Thereafter India too deployed mirror troops at these locations.

At these two places, both the countries' troops have fired warning shots to intimidate one another.

PLA troops made movements to occupy the area between Finger 3 and 4 earlier this month which led to firing of around 200 shots in the air. Thereafter, both the troops are a few hundred meters away.

The mountain spurs jutting into the lake are referred to as 'Fingers' in military parlance.

The north bank of the lake is divided into 8 fingers that are contested by both sides. India claims the Line of Actual Control at Finger 8 and had been holding on to area till Finger 4 but in a clear alteration of status quo the Chinese have been camping at Finger 4 and have set up fortifications between Finger 5 and 8.

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