New Delhi: Thirteen, they say, is not quite a number for the lucky. And already, the 13th round of commander-level talks between the Indian and Chinese militaries that begins at 10:30 AM Sunday at the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) garrison at Moldo, across India’s Chushul border station, has started on a wrong note.
On Saturday, state-controlled Chinese media quoted a PLA source denying reports in the Indian media that a PLA team was detained by Indian troops at Yangtse on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh while being out on patrol duty on September 28, 2021.
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What is of more significance is the fact that the PLA source is indirectly charging the Indian establishment.
The report in a state-controlled media quoted the PLA source as saying: “This incident is a deliberate provocation and a distortion and smear campaign by the Indian side, which is a serious violation of the bilateral agreement. The responsibility rests entirely with the Indian side…”
“The Indian side should earnestly comply with bilateral agreements, strictly control and restrain its front-line troops, and work with the Chinese military to maintain peace and stability in the border area.”
Describing the incident, the media report quoted the PLA source as saying that “Chinese border troops conducted a routine patrol on Sept 28 in the Dongzhang area on the Chinese side of the Sino-Indian border and encountered ‘unreasonable obstruction’ from the Indian military. The Chinese officers and soldiers took countermeasures resolutely and returned after the patrol mission was completed”.
The source had also added that the Dongzhang area is China’s inherent territory and it is entirely reasonable and legal for Chinese border troops to organize patrols on their own territory. “Reports that Chinese soldiers were detained were entirely fabricated and hyped by Indian media.”
To be fair, Indian army sources had stated on Friday itself: “This is routine business whenever patrols meet wherever there's differing perceptions on LC. Both sides patrol. Just that in this instance, the patrols happened to meet.”
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Elaborating further, the Indian army sources added: “The India-China border has not been formally demarcated and hence there is a difference in perception of LAC between the countries… Both sides undertake patrolling activities up to their line of perception. Whenever patrols of both sides physically meet, the situation is managed according to established protocols and mechanisms agreed by both sides.”
Interestingly, on Saturday, Indian Army chief General MM Naravane had expressed concern on the large-scale build-up and the equal amount of infrastructure development on the Chinese side. “It means that they (PLA) are there to stay… But if they are there to stay, we are there to stay too. And the build-up on our side, and the developments on our side, are as good as what PLA has done.”
Sunday’s talks in the Chinese military garrison of Moldo, across India’s Chushul, would be the 13th round. Eight rounds of Corps Commander-level talks were held last year, on June 6, June 22, June 30, July 14, August 2, September 21, October 12, November 6 and four this year, on January 24, February 20, April 9 and July 31.
The Indian side is led by the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps while the PLA is led by the commander of the PLA’s South Xinjiang Military District. The other participants include senior diplomats, border security officials, and local officials.
