India, China corps commanders hold talks for over 10 hours, meeting still on
Jun 22, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 22 : The meeting between Indian Army's 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his Chinese counterpart is still on after more than 10 hours, Army sources said.
The meeting started around 11:30 am at Moldo on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) opposite Chushul to defuse the tensions in Eastern Ladakh sector due to Chinese military build-up, the sources said.
This is the second meeting between the two corps commanders. They had met on June 6 and had agreed to disengage at multiple locations. India had asked the Chinese side to go back to pre-May 4 military positions along the LAC.
The Chinese side had not given any response to the Indian proposal and not even shown intent on the ground to withdraw troops from rear positions where they have amassed over 10,000 troops.
India is also likely to discuss the change in rules of engagement on the LAC where the forces have been empowered to use firearms in extraordinary circumstances, sources had said.
They said India will also ask China to honour the commitment given during June 6 talks to disengage in the Galwan valley completely and other places.
The build-up of Chinese air assets including strategic bombers by the PLA Air Force in fields near Indian territory close to Ladakh is also likely to figure in discussions.
India and China have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions since last month.
However, last week as many as 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in the face-off in the Galwan Valley after an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern Ladakh.
The Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash.
