China releases statement on 7th Corps Commander-level talks; key focus on disengagement

Amid the ongoing faceoff, China issued a statement on the 7th round of Corps Commander-level talks held on October 12 at Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC. Led by 14 Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh, the Indian delegation also comprised Naveen Srivastava, the Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA. 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. The talks commenced at around noon and continued beyond 8.30 pm. 

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Here is China's statement:

"On October 12, the Chinese and Indian border defence troops held the 7th round of the Military Commander-level meeting. The two sides had a sincere and in-depth exchange of views and enhanced understanding of each other's positions on the disengagement of their frontline troops along the Line of Actual Control in the Western sector of the China-India boundary. Both sides are of the view that the meeting was positive and constructive, and agreed to earnestly implement the important understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, not to turn differences into disputes, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas. Both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels, and arrive at a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to disengagement as early as possible."

Read: Def Min Rajnath Singh Makes Statement On LAC Faceoff In LS, Affirms Faith In Armed Forces

What is the LAC faceoff?

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.

Read: PM Modi & China's President Xi Jinping To Interact First Time Since Galwan At BRICS Summit

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