Follow all agreed protocols for border management: India's clear message to China in military talks

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: In the Corps Commander-level talks between India and China over the second phase of disengagement along the LAC concluded at Chushul Border post in Eastern Ladakh pn Wednesday (July 15), the Indian side has clearly stated that follow all agreed protocols for border management.

The Corps Commander-level talks between India and China began at Chushul post on the Indian side at 11: 30 am on Tuesday and ended at around 2 am on July 15. The meeting went on for 14.5 hours.

During the course of the intense and complex negotiations between senior commanders of the two armies, the Indian delegation has apprised the Chinese People's Liberation Army about the "red lines" and conveyed that the onus was largely on China to improve the overall situation in the region, government sources told PTI in New Delhi.

The Indian delegation was led by Lt Gen Harinder Singh, the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, while the Chinese side was headed by the commander of the South Xinjiang military region Maj Gen Liu Lin. The talks took place days after the implementation of the first phase of the disengagement process from the friction points.

Global Times today quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday as saying "The border troops of China and India held their fourth commander-level talks on Tuesday, with the two sides making positive progress in further disengaging the frontline troops in the western section of the border."

The statement was made by Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at Wednesday's media briefing. Hua reportedly said the talks also helped to ease the border situation, adding "
We hope that India can work with China to implement the consensus reached by the two sides with concrete actions and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas."

Earlier on July 5, the Special Representatives of India and China on the border row-- Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi--- had a `frank and in-depth exchange`. During a telephone conversation, they agreed that both sides should complete the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC expeditiously.

As part of the first phase of disengagement, Chinese troops have moved back from Finger 4 to Finger 5 in the Finger area. They have already moved back by around two kilometres in the other friction points including Galway valley, Hot Springs and Patrolling Point-15, top government sources told ANI.

The Indian side has reportedly moved back as per the mutual disengagement agreed upon during the Corps Commander-level talks, the sources added. The vacant spaces will be treated as temporary non-patrolling zones by both sides and their troops will not come there.