In an attempt to end the ongoing military impasse between the two nations, India and China are likely to hold the 19th round of Corps Commander Level talks on Monday (August 14) at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point in the Eastern Ladakh sector. Notably, the two nations have been locked in a military standoff since May 2020, when the Chinese attempted to forcefully alter the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“The Indian side would be led by Fire and Fury Corps Commander Lt Gen Rashim Bali for the talks with representatives of the Chinese military on August 14. Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and ITBP are also expected to be part of the talks The two sides are likely to discuss the issues related to DBO and CNN junction along with other matters. India would also be pressing for disengagement from the Eastern Ladakh front,” news agency ANI reported citing defence sources.
This Corps Commander-level meeting between the two countries is going to be held after a gap of around four months as the sides last met in April this year. The meeting is taking place when both sides are engaged in rapid construction activities along the border areas to bolster their respective positions.
Corps Commander-level talks
The two nations began holding military negotiations on disengagement and de-escalation of the situation along the LAC soon after the confrontation started between the two militaries. The two sides have since then disengaged from multiple confrontation points and moved to new positions to avoid clashes and resolve the issues peacefully. According to sources, the Indian side has deployed around 50,000 troops to match the Chinese deployments in the areas adjacent to eastern Ladakh in an effort to settle the conflict amicably and secure all Indian interests in the region.
Despite the fact that both sides have made significant deployments, they have avoided engaging in direct combat, even if the Indian side does not completely rule out the potential of an enemy misadventure along the LAC. In December 2022, India stopped a Chinese Army misadventure in Yang Tse, close to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
Galwan Valley clash
It should be mentioned here that twenty Indian Army personnel were martyred in a clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley clash on June 15, 2020. Colonel B Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of the 16 Bihar regiment, was among the Indian Army personnel martyred in the clash that had significantly escalated the border tension between the two countries with India calling it "a premeditated and planned action by China".
(With inputs from agencies)
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