India-China military talks: 10th round lasts 16 hours, focuses on further disengagement in eastern Ladakh

Representative image

The 10th round of military talks between India and China lasted for 16 hours. The focus of the talk, held two days after concluding the withdrawal of troops and weapons from North and South banks of Pangong Tso in the high-altitude region, was taking forward the disengagement process at friction points like Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang in eastern Ladakh, according to official sources.

The 10th round of Corps Commander-level talks at the Moldo border point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) began on February 20 at 10 am. It continued until 2 am on February 21, reported news agency ANI citing Army sources.

In the talks, India is learnt to have insisted on a faster disengagement process in areas like Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang to bring down tension in the region that has witnessed a standoff between the two militaries for over nine months.

"The focus of the talks is on carrying forward the disengagement process. Both sides have met to discuss modalities for it," reported news agency PTI citing a source.

The sources said bringing down the tension was the broad priority of the talks.

India has all along been maintaining that disengagement at all the friction points was necessary to de-escalate the situation in the region.

The sources said troops of both sides had retreated to positions that were agreed upon.

The disengagement process began on February 10.

The Indian delegation at February 20 talks was being led by Lt Gen PGK Menon, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps. The Chinese side was to be headed by Maj Gen Liu Lin, the commander of the South Xinjiang military district of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry even as the two sides continued military and diplomatic talks.