India, China military talks went on for 12 hours

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Talks between the Indian and Chinese military delegates to resolve the border issue in Eastern Ladakh went on for around 12 hours, sources said.

The meeting which started at 10.30 a.m. ended at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, the sources said.

It took place at Chushul wherein India has put a strong message that to China’s People’s Liberation Army troops have not aided by the disengagement consensus.

This is the third meeting between the two sides. The last two meetings at Corp Commander level were held on June 6 and June 22.

While Tuesday’s meeting was held in Chushul on the Indian side, the previous two took place in Moldo on the Chinese side.

“All contentious areas during the current standoff were discussed to stabilise the situation,” the sources added.

China has agreed to move back in Pangong Tso but they did not. India claims Line of Actual Control at Finger 8 and Chinese are sitting between at Finger 4 and Finger 5. S

imilar, differences exist in Depsang and Demchok.

On June 22, the talks took place for around 11 hours and the dialogue was held in a cordial, positive and constructive atmosphere and there was a “mutual consensus to disengage”.

“Modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed,” the Indian Army had stated.

The meeting between 14 Corps commander Lieutenant General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin took place on the lines of the one they held at the Chushul-Moldo border personnel meeting (BPM) point in Eastern Ladakh on June 6.

Also Major General level dialogue took place for three consecutive days after the barbaric attack at patrolling point 14 in Galwan valley on June 15 night where 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

The dialogue was carried out to ease out the tense situation and to release 10 Indian soldiers, including four officers, who were in Chinese captivity.

Major General Abhijit Bapat, who is the Commander of the 3 Division of the Indian Army, had raised several points with the Chinese with regards to the incident on the night intervening June 15/16.

June 15 was the first time the Indian Army faced casualties in a clash with the China’s People’s Liberation Army since 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh.

China is also said to have used thermal imaging drones to trace the Indian Army soldiers scattered on the treacherous terrain before brutally attacking them.

–IANS

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