China acknowledges 'PLA soldier crossed LAC', appeals to India for his speedy release

A few hours after the Indian Army apprehended a Chinese soldier, the People's Liberation Army's Western Theater confirmed that he had inadvertently crossed the LAC. Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece Global Times quoted a spokesperson as saying that the PLA soldier went missing while he was helping a herdsman finding his yak on the night of October 18. Mentioning that China had immediately notified India after the incident, the spokesperson expressed hope that India would fulfill its promise to return the soldier.

He added that this would help promote the consensus reached by both sides at the 7th round of Corps Commander-level talks to resolve the LAC faceoff. Earlier in the day, the Indian Army revealed that Corporal Wang Ya Long was caught in the Demchok sector of Eastern Ladakh. It mentioned that the soldier would be returned back to the Chinese officials at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point after the completion of formalities. 

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In a statement, the Indian Army said, "A PLA soldier identified as Corporal Wang Ya Long was apprehended in the Demchok sector of Eastern Ladakh on 19 October 2020 after he had strayed across the LAC. The PLA soldier has been provided medical assistance including oxygen, food and warm clothes to protect him from the vagaries of extreme altitude and harsh climatic conditions. A request has also been received from the PLA about the whereabouts of the missing soldier. As per established protocols, he will be returned back to Chinese officials at the Chushul – Moldo meeting point after completion of formalities."

Hostilities between India and China

The faceoff at the Line of Actual Control was exacerbated when 20 Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred in the Galwan Valley on June 15 when the de-escalation process was underway. This was followed by multiple attempts of provocation by the Chinese side at the end of August. Multiple rounds of Corps Commander-level and WMCC meetings have taken place between the two sides to resolve the crisis. In September, both Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met their respective Chinese counterparts in Moscow.

During the 7th round of Corps Commander-level talks held on October 12 at Chushul, the two sides tried to understand each other's positions on the disengagement of troops along the LAC. In the "constructive" meeting, India and China agreed to implement the consensus reached by their respective leaders. Moreover, there was also a consensus on maintaining dialogue through military and diplomatic channels in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution of disengagement at the earliest. 

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