LAC disengagement: India and China hold 12th round of Corps Commander-level talks at Moldo

Amid a thaw between India and China, the 12th round of Corps Commander level talks between India & China is currently underway on Saturday since 10:30 AM. The talks which are held at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control pertains to disengagement of troops from friction points incl Gogra Heights & Hot Springs area, said Army sources. The two countries have been in a standoff since April-May 2020 when China attempted to unilaterally status quo at the LAC.

Indo-China talks underway

China asserts disengagement at Galwan

Recently, China asserted that both PLA and the Indian Army have disengaged in the Galwan Valley region. Speaking at a seminar in which CPI's D Raja and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury participated on Wednesday, Weidong called for a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution" to the border dispute. China-India relations are significant to peace and prosperity of the region and the world at large, added Weidong.

On July 14, Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting. Recalling their earlier meeting in September 2020, the EAM stressed the need to follow through on the agreement reached then and finish the disengagement at the earliest. Maintaining that prolongation of the existing situation was not in the interest of either side, he admitted that it has had a negative impact on the bilateral relationship. As per the MEA, Jaishankar clearly told Wang that unilateral change in the status quo is not acceptable. 

The two countries' foreign ministers have reached a five-point consensus on continuing dialogue and quickly disengage, while honouring all existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs.  Over 11 rounds of military talks, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has retreated from the Finger 4 area and Patrol point 14 along the LAC, while India pre-empted PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake capturing positions of 'strategic importance' in the Fingers area. The disengagement is yet to be completed in friction points such as Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang. 20 jawans were martyred on June 5-6 amid a violent face-off between Indo-China troops at LAC's Galwan Valley.