Move back: You first, because you came first India tells China at commender level talks

New Delhi, Oct 13: India has made it clear to China that its People's Liberation Army (PLA) would have to step back first and it stepped forward first.

Although there is no official word on the outcome of the meet, sources tell OneIndia that although there was no major breakthrough, continuing talks has ensured that there has been no further escalation at a time when the situation is already tense.

India also has said that it wants a complete de-escalation plan in the whole of eastern Ladakh. These would include the friction points at Chushul, Pangong Tso and Gogra Hotsprings.

Further desolation has also been sought at Depsang-Daulat Beg Oldie, where there is a heavy PLA build up.

However, the PLA continues to insist that the Indian troops vacate the tactical heights which was pre-emptively occupied on the ridge line stretching from Thakung on the south bank of Pangong Tso, Rezang La and Reqin La.

The Corps commander-level talks began at around 12 noon in Chushul on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and continued beyond 8:30 pm.

As the border standoff entered the sixth month, an early resolution to the row appeared dim with close to 100,000 Indian and Chinese troops remaining deployed in the high-altitude region and showing readiness for a long-haul.

The Indian delegation is led by Lt Gen Harinder Singh, the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, and includes Naveen Srivastava, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA). It is learnt an official of the Chinese foreign ministry is also part of the Chinese delegation.

The China Study Group (CSG) comprising Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs on Friday finalised India's strategy for the military talks. The CSG is India's key policy-making body on China.

Both sides continue to maintain over 50,000 soldiers and are backed by tanks, armoured surface to air missile systems and howitzers. This despite the winter steadily setting in.