India-China Military Talks Focus on Eastern Ladakh Standoff

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh along with their officials are pictured during their meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet in New Delhi, India, April 27, 2023. Indian Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS

Amidst prolonged tensions in Eastern Ladakh, the Indian and Chinese militaries are currently engaged in extensive discussions, seeking to address longstanding issues in the Demchok and Depsang plains, as reported by ANI.

Sources within the defence establishment have informed ANI that the discussions, termed as ‘marathon discussions’, began on Friday and are being conducted at the Major General level in Daulat Beg Oldie and Chushul. These talks aim to address the existing stand-off in Eastern Ladakh and the issues that have been pending since the Chinese aggression in 2020.

It’s worth noting that this is not the first dialogue between the two nations. As ANI pointed out, the two sides have already conducted 19 rounds of talks focusing on the boundary issues in Eastern Ladakh since the escalation in 2020.

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Following up on the Corps Commander level discussions, the current talks involve the Major Generals from both sides. Representing the Indian side are Trishul Division Commander Maj Gen PK Mishra and Uniform Force Commander Maj Gen Hariharan, with discussions taking place at two distinct locations.

ANI’s report emphasizes that the foundation for these talks was laid during the 19th round of Corps Commander-level discussions, which transpired on August 13 and 14 at the Chushul Moldo border meeting point.

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Key discussion points being considered include the legacy issues, primarily concerning resuming patrolling in the Depsang plains and addressing the Chinese military presence at the CNN junction.

The India-China border situation has remained tense for over three years, witnessing a palpable decline in bilateral relations owing to border tensions. Both nations have heavily fortified their positions, with upwards of 50,000 troops stationed across the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

Adding a diplomatic angle to the military talks, ANI highlighted that the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, had comprehensive discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Following their discussions, the 19th round of corps commander talks was conducted after a hiatus of four months.