India, China Army Talks to Ease Border Tensions Fail
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China and India engaged in talks regarding the strategically important Galwan River valley, yet no progress was made.
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Chinese Indian Borders (AFP)
On Monday, Indian and Chinese army commanders held talks to disengage troops from key friction areas along their border. These talks have ended in a stalemate following a 17-month standoff that has, on some occasions, led to bloody clashes, according to AP.
Because of the ongoing standoff, the two countries would keep troops in Ladakh's forward areas for a second consecutive winter in extremely cold temperatures.
After a two-month break, the leaders of both forces finally met
In a statement, India's Defense Ministry said it made "constructive recommendations," but China was "unwilling" and "could not make any forward-looking solutions." However, "the Indian side sticks to unreasonable and unrealistic demands, adding difficulties to the negotiations," a Chinese military official said in a statement.
After a two-month interval, the leaders of the 2 forces met for discussions on Sunday in Moldo, China's Ladakh region.
Both India and China withdrew soldiers from some of the sites where tensions occurred on the northern and southern banks of the Pangong Tso, Gogra, and the Galwan Valley since February. However, both kept extra troops on standby as part of a multi-tier deployment.
Chinese military source: The Indian side is entirely responsible
Last week, Indian media reported that some Chinese soldiers were detained for a few hours after a minor skirmish near Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector.
"Face-offs occurred due to differing perception due to the delineated boundary," one insider told The Hindu.
For its part, Chinese state media has refuted allegations that the Indian army was holding Chinese border personnel, but has alleged that a routine patrol was "unreasonably obstructed" late last month.
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) separates the two sides, although they have been unable to agree on its exact limits.
According to the South China Morning Post citing China Daily, the Indian side "deliberately provoked and smeared [the Chinese side], and seriously violated the bilateral agreement," said a Chinese military source.
“The responsibility rests entirely with the Indian side,” the military source said. “The Indian side should earnestly comply with bilateral agreements, strictly control and restrain its frontline troops, and work with the Chinese military to maintain peace and stability in the border area," according to the same report.
20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers were killed in clashes last year
Last year, the armed forces of the two countries engaged in an extended standoff in Ladakh, thousands of kilometers to the west. Clubs, bats, and stones have been used as weapons in the clash.
20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers were killed in a skirmish in the Galwan Valley in June, the South China Morning Post reported.
