BackChinese troops move back personnel, tents along LAC
The two sides have agreed to create a buffer zone with both simultaneously pulling back about 1.5 kilometers from the LAC
PremiumNEW DELHI: India and China pulled back a step each from their head-to-head positions along three friction points along their Line of Actual Control border in Eastern Ladakh on Monday while agreeing to keep up dialogue to de-escalate tensions simmering for two months. But both sides appeared far from compromise in key areas of dispute like the Pangong Tso lake and Depsang plains with analysts predicting a long period of talks to resolve the issues.
A person familiar with the matter on Monday said “disengagement" had started with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “seen removing tents and structures" at PP 14 (Patrolling Point) – the scene of a major clash between Indian and Chinese troops on 15 June that resulted in 20 deaths on the Indian side and an unspecified number of casualties on the Chinese side. The two sides have agreed to create a buffer zone with both simultaneously pulling back about 1.5 kilometers from the LAC. Some “rearward movement of PLA vehicles was seen in Galwan, Hotsprings and Gogra post," the person cited above said stressing that these needed to be verified.
India’s caution comes from the fact that many rounds of military and diplomatic level talks in June to de-escalate tensions has not yielded results on the ground. Chinese troops were seen on satellite picture – not verified by the Indian government – making further inroads into Indian territory as disengagement talks were happening. And an Indian unit that went to verify disengagement was attacked by Chinese troops on 15 June.
Former Indian ambassador to China, Pakistan and Bhutan, Gautam Bambawale welcomed the movement towards reduction of tensions but pointed out that “the bottom line for India from which it will not budge is restoration of the status quo ante," ie China vacating all the areas that it has intruded into.
“China by its military action on the ground has damaged the relationship. It has also sent a message of what type of relationship it desires with India. This will put pressure on the India - China relationship, which as a consequence, will get worse before it gets better," he said.
Monday’s development comes after a telephone conversation between Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday. Both are Special Representatives tasked with resolving their decades old border dispute. That both sides issued separate statements indicated differences in viewpoints between the two.
Doval and Wang “agreed that it was necessary to ensure at the earliest, complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquility," the Indian statement said. “They further agreed that both sides should complete the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC expeditiously. The two sides should also ensure a phased and stepwise de-escalation in the India-China border areas. They re-affirmed that both sides should strictly respect and observe the line of actual control and should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any incident in the future that could disturb peace and tranquility in border areas," the Indian statement added.
The Chinese statement on the Doval-Wang talks emphasized different points.
Pointing out that “bilateral relations have withstood tests and made hard-won progress," it said that the “right and wrong of what recently happened at the Galwan Valley in the western sector of the China-India boundary is very clear" -- in a reference to Beijing previously putting the blame for the 15 June clash on India. “China will continue firmly safeguarding our territorial sovereignty as well as peace and tranquility in the border areas," it said – a possible indication that areas currently under Chinese control are non-negotiable.
Urging India to look at the big picture of ties, the Chinese statement said both countries “should pay great attention to the current complex situation facing China-India bilateral relations, and work together to overcome and turn it around as soon as possible."
“We hope India can work with China to guide public opinion in the right direction, keep and advance bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and avoid amplifying the differences and complicating matters," it added in a possible reference to India taking steps like banning Chinese mobile phones apps in retaliation to its position on the border.
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