Three weeks ahead of the G-20 Summit hosted by New Delhi, efforts are on for a breakthrough on the ground in the stalemate at Depsang Plains and Demchok in eastern Ladakh as part of overall efforts to end the 2020 stand-off between India and China.
Towards this, two Major General-level talks were held on August 18 as a follow-up to the 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks held earlier this week, officials confirmed.
The Corps Commanders-level talks went on for two days this time, an official source said, adding that there were expectations of some breakthrough and forward movement on the ground.
The outcome of the two separate Major General-level talks are still awaited.
The respective Major Generals in the area held talks with their Chinese counterparts, another source stated. India and China have Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) points at Chushul and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in eastern Ladakh.
While expectations are that Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to India for the G-20 Summit on September 9 and 10, he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to attend the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 22-24, though there is no indication as of now of any possible meeting between them on the sidelines.
At Depsang plains, Chinese troops have been blocking Indian patrols for some time from going beyond the Y-junction by deliberately starting a face-off due to which the Indian Army has not been able to access Patrolling Points (PP) 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13 located on the Limit of Patrolling which lies before the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India last accessed the PPs in Depsang in January/February 2020, as reported by The Hindu earlier.
As per agreed protocols, both side undertake banner drills when patrol parties come face to face as a way to prevent escalation. This involves both sides waving banners at each other and asserting their claim when patrols come face to face and then return.
China has been using the border protocols for preventing face-offs to block Indian patrols and as agreed during the earlier phases of disengagement, the two sides have to work out new patrolling norms once disengagement and de-escalation is done, another source noted.
The Sub-Sector North (SSN), which consists Depsang plains and DBO, is very crucial and is currently accessible only by the 255-km-long Darbuk-Shyok-DBO (DSDBO) road. Work is on for an alternate access through Saser La, an ancient trade route.
The Indian stance has been consistent, which is restoration of status quo ante as on April 2020. This entails restoration of patrolling rights till the traditional patrolling points, official sources stated earlier.
Demchok is one of the two mutually agreed disputed areas in eastern Ladakh, with each side having varying claims in the Charding La area. China had set up tents on the Indian side of Charding nala a few years ago and the presence expanded as the stand-off unfolded in April 2020.
China insists that these two issues predate the 2020 stand-off which has caused a stalemate in the talks.
