Breakthrough evades India-China talks yet again

New Delhi, Aug 21: The meeting between the diplomats of India and China failed to achieve a breakthrough to resolve the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control.

However, both sides agreed to sincerely work towards complete disengagement. This was the fourth meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) since the standoff began in May.

It may be recalled that the seventh meeting of the WMCC was held last month. Both sides had agreed on complete disengagement along the LAC at eastern Ladakh. The talks are headed by the joint secretary-level officials from both sides.

The Chinese have not disengaged in the Finger Area, Depsang Plains and Gogra despite multiple rounds of talks. The Chinese have been camping in the Finger Areas for the past three months and have been constructing bunkers and sangars.

The position that India would continue to maintain firmly is that the Chinese PLA must disengage. The decision was taken following a consultative meeting of top officials from the Army, Defence and External Affairs Ministry.

The inter-ministerial meeting was held ahead of the diplomatic talks through the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) to be held later this week.

It is quite clear that the transgressions that began in May had the approval of the Chinese Central Military Commission headed by Secretary, Xi Jinping. This is because it involved both the Tibetan and Xinjiang district as troops were inducted from outside the Western Theatre Command, an official familiar with the developments told OneIndia.

The official cited above also said that during the talks, China continues to make demands that are clearly not acceptable to India. For instance, they are seeking the removal of an old administrative base in Pangong Tso.