Latest New Delhi-Beijing talks inconclusive; China failed to provide forward-looking proposals: India

The base is coming up between the existing airbases of Kashgar and Hogan. Representative Image (REUTERS/Danish Ismail)

India and China on October 10 held the 13th round of Corps Commander-level talks over the Ladakh standoff, however, the round ended in failure, the Indian Army said in a statement on October 11.

The talks, in the backdrop of two recent incidents of attempted transgressions by the Chinese troops in the Barahoti sector of Uttarakhand and  Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, were held at the Chushul-Moldo border on October 10.

During the meeting the discussions between the two sides focused on the resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, the Army statement said, news agency ANI reported.

During the 13th round of India-China Corps Commanders meeting yesterday, discussions between the two sides focussed on resolution of the remaining issues along LAC in Eastern Ladakh: Indian Army

— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2021

The Indian side, according to the statement, pointed out that the situation along the LAC had been caused by unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter the status quo and in violation of the bilateral agreements. It was therefore necessary that the Chinese side take appropriate steps in the remaining areas so as to restore peace and tranquility along the LAC in the Western Sector.

This would be in accordance with the decisions taken by two foreign ministers in their recent meeting in Dushanbe where they had agreed that the two sides should resolve the remaining issues at the earliest. The Indian side emphasised that such resolution of the remaining areas would facilitate progress in the bilateral relations, the statement said.

READ: EXCLUSIVE | India foils Chinese incursion in Arunachal Pradesh, briefly detains PLA troops

“During the meeting, the Indian side, therefore, made constructive suggestions for resolving the remaining areas but the Chinese side was not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking proposals. The meeting thus did not result in resolution of the remaining areas,” it said.

The two sides have, however, agreed to maintain communications and also to maintain stability on the ground. “It is our expectation that the Chinese side will take into account the overall perspective of bilateral relations and will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” the statement said.

Last week, Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a brief face-off near Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. In August, close to 100 PLA soldiers had transgressed the LAC in the Barahoti sector.

China People's Liberation Army (PLA) also issued a statement blaming India for insisting on unreasonable, unrealistic demands.

“Instead of misjudging the situation, the Indian side should cherish the hard-won situation in the China-India border areas,” said Senior Colonel Long Shaohua, spokesperson for the Western Theater Command of the PLA said in a statement.

The spokesperson said that during the meeting, the Chinese side made great efforts to promote the easing and cooling of the border situation and fully demonstrated China’s sincerity in maintaining the overall interests of bilateral military relations. However, the Indian side still persisted in its unreasonable and unrealistic demands, which added difficulties to the negotiations.

The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a  clash in the Pangong lake areas. Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

The two sides held the 12th round of high-level military talks on July 31. Following the meet, the two armies completed the disengagement process in Gogra in August.

(With PTI inputs)