Previous border agreements in disarray due to heavy deployment along the Line of Actual Control
As winter approaches the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the latest round of talks – the thirteenth – amid India and China ended without any resolution, leaving thousands of soldiers facing the prospect of another harsh cold weather on the heights of eastern Ladakh. Contradictory statements sharply underscored the impasse. The Indian Army statement on Monday morning said India made “constructive suggestions” to resolve the remaining areas, while the Chinese side “did not agree and could not even make any forward-looking proposals”. A Chinese statement on Sunday night accused India of making “unreasonable and unrealistic demands”. There was no joint statement, as was the case in the last round in August, when a settlement for dissolution was reached at Gogra. The only surprise is that unlike the two sides’ “confidence boost” and “rapid resolution” issues in August, which have already dragged on for over a year, the discord is now completely out in the open. . In fact, the recent events at the border gave an indication that all was not well.
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First, reports of a face-off in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector surfaced, citing Indian official sources, two days before Sunday’s talks; Later, Chinese soldiers were detained for a few hours. The reports sparked an angry reaction in China, where the military apparently leaked social media images last year that allegedly showed wounded Indian soldiers detained by China in the Galwan Valley. Statements from the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused India of following a “forward policy” in the 1962 clarion call, which worsened the situation. China made a statement on Sunday night, barely hours after talks ended – a departure from normal practice in a country where statements are usually scrutinized carefully – suggesting that the PLA had no real intent. This leaves the LAC in a dangerous position. Not only are many hotspots unresolved – the latest round was to discuss hot springs, while disputes remain over Demchok and Depsang – corps commanders were also set to work on new protocols for patrolling. Speaking later this week, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane referred to massive infrastructure construction on the Chinese side, and said that since Chinese troops were there to stay, Indian troops would also be there. Ladakh and the western regions may remain the epicenter of tension, but as the recent flare-ups in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh suggest, the central and eastern regions may hardly be calm. Past border agreements are in disarray in the face of China’s unprecedented troop gathering, while about 50,000 troops from each side are stationed in forward areas, all of which create a dangerous mix as winter hits the Himalayas.
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