India-China to hold 9th round of military commander level talks today

New Delhi, Jan 23: India and China will hold the 9th round of military commander level talks on Sunday. The talks will be held in Moldo opposite to the Chushul sector in India.

The development comes a day after Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh pushed for a complete withdrawal of troops along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh.

There have been 8 rounds of talks, but both sides have not been able to work out a solution as yet.
Singh had said that India won't reduce its soldiers unless China initiates the process, noting that New Delhi is developing infrastructure in border areas at a "very fast rate".

India and China are locked in a border dispute since May last year. Tensions were further escalated after the Galwan Valley clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred and an equal number of Chinese soldiers were either killed or went missing.

"Both sides have agreed to hold the next round of the senior commander level meeting soon and we are in close communication over diplomatic and military channels in this regard," Spokesperson in the ministry Anurag Srivastava said.

He was replying to a question on the next round of military talks at a media briefing.

The eighth and last round of military talks between the two sides had taken place on November 6 during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

India has all along been maintaining that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.

In a clear message to China, Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane last week said India is committed to resolve the eastern Ladakh standoff through talks but no one should make any mistake of testing its patience.