Published 09:38 IST, August 2nd 2020
India-China corps commander talks at Moldo; 'complete disengagement by China' the focus
Indian Army and the Chinese PLA will hold Corps Commander-level talks at Moldo on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control on Sunday, said Indian Army sources
The Indian Army and the Chinese PLA will hold Corps Commander-level talks at Moldo on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control on Sunday, said Indian Army sources. "Armies of India and China to hold Corps Commander-level talks at Moldo on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control today. The meeting is scheduled to start at 11 AM today," ANI quoted Indian Army sources as saying.
'Focus on complete disengagement'
"India side will focus on complete disengagement by China in the Finger area," it added. India said on Thursday that some progress has been made in the disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh but it has not yet been completed and noted that it expected that the Chinese side will sincerely work for complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas at the earliest.
External Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the two sides held the 17th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination last week and reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western sector. While the Indian delegation was led by the Ministry of External Affairs' Joint Secretary (East Asia), the Director-General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs represented the other side.
Violent clash at the LAC
20 Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred when a violent faceoff took place on June 15 when the de-escalation process was underway in the Galwan Valley. As per the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese newspaper Global Times, the Chinese side also suffered casualties during the physical clash. Both sides have held multiple rounds of diplomatic and military level meetings to resolve the situation. After the visit of PM Modi to Ladakh, there has been considerable progress on disengagement at the LAC.
China blames India, gets thrashed for land-grab bid
Reiterating its previous claims, China on Wednesday, blamed the Indian Army for the violent standoff against the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at the Galwan valley in Ladakh on the night of June 15. Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong asserted that the PLA was patrolling on its side and did not cross the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Weidong claimed that the Indian side crossed the LAC and 'violently attacked' Chinese soldiers.
"Right and wrong of Galwan are clear. Responsibility is not on the Chinese side. Infrastructure being built by the Indian side was the cause of the flare-up. Indian side first went across the Line and provoked and violently attacked Chinese soldiers. Chinese soldiers were going to negotiate when they were attacked in Galwan," the Chinese envoy said on Thursday. However, India has received overwhelming support in the matter against China, with the latter being accused of land-grab attempts on various frontiers.
(With agency inputs)
Updated 09:38 IST, August 2nd 2020