India, China discuss border disengagement
The HinduIndia and China held the 7th round of Corps Commander talks at Chushul on Monday in an effort to work out a schedule for disengagement and de-escalation along the disputed border in Eastern Ladakh. Joint statement After the 6th round of talks on September 21, both sides, for the first time, issued a joint statement in which they agreed to “stop sending more troops to the front line” and “refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground.” However, on September 29, the Chinese foreign ministry said it “did not recognise” the UT of Ladakh and the Line of Actual Control was “clear” and “that it is the LAC of November 7, 1959”. The MEA responded sharply to this saying, “India has never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 LAC.” A day after the sharp exchange of words, the two sides held another meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination. In the last round of talks, China insisted that disengagement on the south bank of Panging Tso be discussed first, while India insisted on complete disengagement and de-escalation along Eastern Ladakh.