India, China to conduct LAC talks on March 11

India and China are set to hold the 15th round of military talks on March 11 to ease tensions in Ladakh.

India and China are set to hold the 15th round of military talks on March 11 to ease tensions in Ladakh, with the dialogue expected to focus on resolving outstanding issues at the remaining friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), officials familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

Indian and Chinese troops exchange greetings along the Line of Actual Control on New Year’s. (PTI Photo)

The last round of Corps Commander-level talks was held on January 12, which failed to yield any positive outcome though both countries said they would work towards mutually acceptable solutions to resolve the border standoff, which began in May 2020.

The March 11 dialogue will take place on the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo meeting point, the officials said on condition of anonymity. Despite three rounds of disengagement at friction points on LAC — Galwan, Pangong Tso and Gogra Heights — the two armies still have 50,000 to 60,000 troops each, along with advanced weaponry, deployed in the Ladakh theatre.

“Both sides will now focus on achieving resolution on the remaining friction areas. Recent statements by both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution have been encouraging and positive in nature,” said one of the officials cited above.

The latest round of talks is expected to focus on hammering out an agreement for disengagement of rival frontline soldiers from Hot Springs or Patrol Point-15, one of the friction points on LAC.

The Indian Army’s patrolling activity has been affected in Hot Springs and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s forward presence in Depsang Plains has also hindered access of Indian soldiers to routes, including the ones leading to PP-10, 11, 11-A, 12 and 13.

It is good that both sides are continuing to discuss the disengagement process, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retired).

“Given what has happened in the last two rounds, it is difficult to predict any outcome. But, if there is any lesson from the ongoing Ukraine conflict, it is that festering tensions should not be left unaddressed. China should realise this,” he added.

A joint statement issued by India and China after the January 12 dialogue talked about a consensus on consolidating previous outcomes and taking steps for security and stability on the ground.

The statement, issued the next day, struck a conciliatory note in contrast to the separate statements issued by the two sides after the 13th round of talks on October 10 — while the Indian Army said the PLA did not agree to its suggestions, China accused India of “unreasonable and unrealistic demands” in an unusually aggressive statement.

Although the January 12 talks lasted around 13 hours, the Indian side made no headway into getting the PLA to disengage from Hot Springs near Kongka La, and resolving the patrolling rights issues at Depsang in Daulat Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok.

Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane last week reviewed the operational readiness of a Mathura-based strike formation that was reassigned to the northern borders with China amid the LAC standoff, even as the army carried out airborne drills in the Siliguri corridor to showcase its “aerial insertion and rapid response capabilities” along the eastern frontier with the neighbouring country.

While the world is distracted by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, senior officials said the army was more focused on the challenges along the China border.