'Gains' expected in India-China talks in Ladakh on Friday

The eleventh round of talks between Indian and Chinese senior military commanders are expected to be substantial in scope as they will focus on more standoff areas along the stretch of the LAC in eastern Ladakh, writes senior journalist Sanjib Kr Baruah

New Delhi: Some ‘breakthroughs’ are expected in the eleventh senior commander level talks between the Indian and Chinese militaries that will begin from 10:30 AM on Friday on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Chushul in eastern Ladakh, an official source told ETV Bharat.

While disengagement has already taken place and been implemented in accordance with the agreed terms on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake, the situation remained unchanged in the other face-off points. “Friday’s talks will try to change that and we expect there is already some common ground,” said one of the sources.

With the main agenda being mutual agreement to disengagement and de-escalation rules in the stand-off points, where face-offs between the two biggest militaries of Asia are continuing, it is expected that it may result in considerable easing of tension between India and China if ‘breakthroughs’ are achieved in the Gogra Valley, Hot Springs and Demchok.

Of these, Depsang is considered to be a legacy issue that existed prior to the current situation that began from April-May 2020 onwards.

Currently engaging at military, diplomatic and political levels, the ongoing tension was sparked off by a border skirmish on May 4-5 last year on the northern bank of the Pangong Tso near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that snowballed into a massive militarization effort that saw unprecedented war-like deployment by both sides.

The earlier 10 rounds of talks had taken place on June 6, June 22, June 30, July 14, August 2, September 21, October 12, November 6, January 24 and February 20 either on the Indian side of the LAC at Chushul or on the Chinese side at the Moldo garrison.

Gen Rawat Talk

The talks will take place a day after Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat adopted a pacific tone during his address in a think-tank event in the national capital on Wednesday.

Speaking on the regional neighbourhood, Gen Rawat had said: “There is an emergent need to develop a vision for the region. However, one must be careful to not ‘bite more than we can chew’."

He also sought to disapprove of the impression that India had joined the US camp.

“Moving beyond an articulated document, India’s engagements in the geo-strategic spectrum reflect the fierce reinforcing of the policy of ‘Strategic Autonomy’ by not entering into any stifling military alliance… We have preferred strategic partnerships on equal terms, rather than compromising our autonomy on strategic issues by towing the party line of alliances,” Gen Rawat said.

The CDS’ statement could have possibly alluded to the fact that the India-China tension had resulted in the region, gradually becoming a flashpoint for playing out the strategic ambitions of militarily powerful nations and therefore the imperative need to reduce the danger of escalation.

Russian Foreign Minister Visit

Interestingly, the CDS’ statement came on Wednesday, the day Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to supply special military equipment to Pakistan to strengthen its counter-terrorism capabilities as well as plans to conduct more military and naval exercises with Pakistan.

Traditionally close to India, Russia has ramped up cooperation with Pakistan particularly after India and the US have grown very close in a bid to counter a rising China. And the fact that Russia may supply military equipment to Pakistan will not be to India’s liking.

Lavrov’s Pakistan visit followed his visit to India and has been reported by various media to have been a result of prompting by China to include Pakistan in his itinerary in the same leg as the India visit.