NSA Ajit Doval reviews outcome of Corps Commander-level talks between India, China

PTI photo

The outcome of the marathon 15-hour-long fourth round of Corps Commander-level talks between India and China was discussed by the China Study Group (CSG) headed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday (July 16).

The CSG comprises the Cabinet Secretary, the Secretaries of Home, External Affairs and Defence as well as representatives of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. It will take a call on the ‘further course of action’ on the graded, mutual de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh - which may be a long-drawn process stretching into several weeks.

The Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen YK Joshi, is expected to brief the CSG on the developments along the LAC. Similar discussions are reported to have been held by the Chinese side after Tuesday’s meeting in Chushul. The meeting of Lt Gen-level commanders ended at 2 am on Wednesday, indicating a partial progress

Though the details of the dialogue between the two sides are not known, it is believed that the talks mainly focused on the second phase of disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The talks were significant because this was the first meeting between senior officials of Indian and Chinese troops after the first phase of disengagement along LAC.

Chinese Foreign Ministry has said the talks would help in easing the border situation. Global Times also 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."

During the course of the intense and complex negotiations between senior commanders of the two armies that lasted nearly 15 hours, the Indian delegation 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.