NEW DELHI: The stalemate reached during the 13th round of India-China Corps Commander Level talks in October persisted until the 14th round India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side on 12th January ended inconclusively.
Without mentioning any outcome on Hot Springs (Patrolling Point 15) Standoff, the two sides issued a joint statement on Thursday which said, “The two sides also agreed to consolidate on the previous outcomes and take effective efforts to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector including during winter.”
The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. In this context it was also agreed that the next round of the Commanders’ talks should be held at the earliest.
The two sides had a frank and in-depth exchange of views for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. They agreed that both sides should follow the guidance provided by the State Leaders and work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.
Meanwhile, China on Thursday reacted to Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane’s comments made on Wednesday, the day the 14th round of Corps Commander level talks to resolve the military standoff in eastern Ladakh was being held.
China said that it hopes that “relevant people” from the Indian side will refrain from making “unconstructive comments.”
Asked for his reaction to Gen Naravane's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here on Thursday that 'now China and India have been in communication and dialogue through diplomatic and military channels to ease the border tension'.
"We hope relevant people on the Indian side will refrain from making unconstructive remarks," he said in response to a question from the Western media.
Army Chief Naravane in his press conference had made it clear on Wednesday that while there has been partial disengagement, the Chief made it clear that "the threat has by no means reduced."
Gen Naravane also said that war or conflict is always an "instrument of last resort" but if it is thrust upon India, then the country will come out victorious.
"Good thing that talks are going on, it shows that we can resolve our differences through dialogue. Each time we talk we narrow down to the issues, that is why this mechanism is important," Chief brought out.
But Defence Analyst Maj Gen SB Asthana (Retd) advocates for a new approach to get any outcome in future. “Now, a new approach, new thought process and new leverages in any domain will be needed to get any outcome in future.” The leverages can be in any field, not necessarily on the borders, he added.
The agenda of the talks remains disengagement at standoffs in Hot Springs, Depsang and Demchok.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent 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.
Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.