No lowering of guard by India, even as China withdraws 10,000 troops from depth areas

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Chinese purportedly withdrew 10,000 troops from the depth areas adjacent to the Line of Actual Control, the defect boundary between India and China.

However the military standoff continues, as the Chinese PLA has not pulled back its front-line troops deployed on the friction points, sources tell OneIndia.

Senior officials say that the disengagement process is expected to take longer. This is because of the upcoming 100 year anniversary celebrations of the Chinese Communist Party planned in July. President Xi Jinping would want to showcase a strong position. Moreover the standoff with India along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, provides President Xi, the perfect opportunity to divert the nation's attention from the poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aggression would also be used build pressure on smaller countries such as Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal.

The official cited above said that India will continue to hold its ground and there will be absolutely no thinning down of the troops.

Asked about the status of talks with the Chinese side over the border row, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the latest round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) was held on December 18.

The two sides have agreed to hold the next round of senior commanders meeting, and are in constant communication through diplomatic and military channels in this regard, he said at an online media briefing.

"In the meantime, both sides have maintained communication at the ground level to avoid any misunderstandings and misjudgments even as discussions continue for achieving complete disengagement in all friction areas in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements to restore peace and tranquillity," Srivastava said.

On December 18, at a virtual meeting of the WMCC, both sides agreed to continue work towards ensuring complete disengagement of troops in all friction points along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.

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

According to officials, nearly 50,000 Indian Army troops are currently deployed in a high state of combat readiness in various mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh in sub-zero conditions as multiple rounds of talks between the two sides have not yielded any concrete outcome to resolve the standoff.

China has also deployed an equal number of troops.