New Delhi , June 22
India and China are holding military-level talks on Monday to defuse the border tensions. Along with military-level talks, both sides are planning to engage at diplomatic level soon, ANI has learnt.
Officials on both sides are working out a schedule for talks and a meeting may take place soon. Contours of talks are being chalked out and these can take place at multiple levels including Joint Secretary- level. There is still no official word on the proposed meet from both sides.
Meanwhile, foreign ministers S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will be joining virtual RIC (Russia, India, China) meeting on Tuesday. Russia is hosting the meet and it will be on a multilateral agenda with a focus on COVID-19.
Diplomatic talks are being planned in the backdrop of a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley.
The clash on June 15 happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during de-escalation in eastern Ladakh.
India has said that the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.
China and its mouthpiece Global Times have been claiming entire Galwan Valle. India has said that China ‘s claim on Galwan Valley is exaggerated, untenable and unacceptable.
India lost 20 of its soldiers in the violent face-off in the Galwan Valley and 10 Indian soldiers also were held captive and later released. Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured.
Following the face-off, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui and Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri met in Beijing on June 16.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar held telephonic talks with Wang on June 17 and conveyed that what happened in Galway was a “pre-mediated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties.”
Jaishankar recalled that at the meeting of senior Military Commanders held on June 6, an agreement was reached on de-escalation and disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and ground commanders were meeting regularly to implement this consensus throughout the last week.
Dr Jaishankar said while there was some progress, “the Chinese side sought to erect a structure in Galwan valley on our side of the LAC”.
The minister said the two sides should scrupulously and sincerely implement the understanding that was reached by the senior commanders on June 6 and troops of both sides should also abide by the bilateral agreements and protocols. (ANI)