India awaits answers as it preps for next round of talks with China

New Delhi, Dec 01: New Delhi is waiting for certain clarifications on the disengagement roadmap as it prepares to hold the ninth round of military commander level talks with China.

Answers are awaited from Beijing and step by step disengagement would be detailed in writing, if the clarifications are satisfactory to both sides, officials familiar with the developments tell OneIndia.

The talks between the military commanders have been stalled and there is no clarity as yet on the pullback. China is yet to get back on the dates for the next round of talks, sources tell OneIndia.

New Delhi has stressed upon complete disengagement of troops as the objective for the talks with China. India also wants complete restoration of peace and tranquility along the LAC, Ministry of External Affairs, spokesperson, Anurag Srivastava said.

Srivastava described the latest round of talks between the military commanders of India and China as candid, in-depth and constructive. Exchanged views on disengagement at all friction points along the Line of Actual Control in the western sector of the India-China border areas, Srivastava also said.

Even as the military commanders were discussing a disengagement plan, reports of the Chinese fortifying their positions began to trickle in. The plan of disengagement could not be implemented as New Delhi rejected China's proposal to create a moratorium on patrolling between Finger 3 and Finger 8 on the northern bank of the Pangong Tso.

While talks between the two military commanders is expected to take soon, there appears to be no change in China's position at the border. The manner in which the Chinese PLA is sending in reinforcements, it does not appear that the standoff is going to die down anytime soon.

The official cited above said that China continues to build up its troops and is adding infrastructure at the border to keep up the pressure with India even as the two sides continue dialogue on disengagement and de-escalation.

Further, the Indian side has noticed that the Chinese PLA is undertaking road construction for faster deployment on the LAC. This is being done to focus on the DBO sector as well as the Depsang Bulge area.

Further, there are containers, each accommodating six PLA soldiers. Apart from this new hospital facilities have come up in the depth areas. This has been done to cater to those soldiers who are suffering altitude sickness.