India, China may discuss Gogra, Hot Springs pullback
Box: Beijing dithers on Depsang plains
A virtual meeting of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination was held on June 25
China does not want to bring troop build-up in Depsang plains into these talks
India wants complete disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 29
India and China are set to “pick-up the threads” of the unfinished agenda of disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh even as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been briefed about what is now a near-permanent military posture in the area.
His three-day visit to Ladakh (June 27-29) had come a day after the virtual meeting of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs on June 25.
The WMCC meetings are coordinated by the Ministry of External Affairs and it was decided to conduct discussions on disengagement and de-escalation of troops, weapons and equipment from Gogra and Hot Springs, two flashpoints along the LAC.
While China does not want to bring the troop build-up in Depsang plains into these talks, India wants complete disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC.
Depsang is a flat plateau of 900 sq km at an altitude of 16,000 ft. The Indian Army holds a majority of the Depsang plains while the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) holds the eastern edge of the plains.
The WMCC has not laid out the schedule for the next round of Lt General level talks. The two militaries have a mechanism of talking to each other through a telephonic link and are tasked to coordinate the schedule.
Rajnath, meanwhile, took stock of the situation in Ladakh. He reiterated the government’s stand of resolving disputes with neighbouring countries through dialogue, but said the safety and security of the nation would not be compromised at any cost.
