Eastern Ladakh row: 19th round of India-China talks to begin at 9.30 am today

India and China will hold the 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks today, Monday, August 14. The talks will start at 9.30 am at the Chushul border meeting point in Eastern Ladakh today. The two countries have been in a military standoff for the last three years since May 2020. 

During the talks, India may press for early disengagement of troops from the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. The 19th round of Corps Commander-level dialogue is taking place on Monday to ease tensions in the region.

As per details, the Indian delegation at the talks is going to seek completion of the disengagement process in the remaining friction points at the earliest.

Even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks, both Indian and China troops are locked in an over three-year standoff in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh.

On 23 April, the 18th round of the military dialogue took place where the Indian side strongly pressed for resolving the lingering issues at Depsang and Demchok.

In the fresh round of talks, to be held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side, the Indian delegation is most likely to be headed by Lt Gen Rashim Bali, the Commander of the Leh-headquartered 14 Corps. While the Chinese team is expected to be led by the commander of the South Xinjiang Military District.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in July spoke on the need to stabilize bilateral relations at a dinner during the G-20 summit in Bali in 2022.

Also, on 24 July, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of a meeting of the five-nation grouping BRICS in Johannesburg.

Doval conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 had "eroded strategic trust" and the public and political basis of the relationship, said the statement.

It added that the NSA emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquillity in the border areas to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral ties.

In the meantime, India has maintained its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

Earlier on 5 May 2020, the eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted after a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.