India has all along been maintaining that onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in eastern Ladakh

Even as India and China continue to be in standoff in eastern Ladakh, the two sides have agreed to hold the next round of senior commander-level meeting soon, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

“Both sides have agreed to hold the next round of senior commander-level meetings soon. And, we are in close communications over diplomatic and military channels in this regard,” MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during a weekly media briefing on Friday.

Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh for over eight months as multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks have not yet produced any major breakthrough.


On November 6, the eighth and last round of military talks were held between the two sides and during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

India has all along been maintaining that onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.

Last week, in a clear message to China, Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane said India is committed to resolve the eastern Ladakh standoff through talks but no one should make any mistake of testing its patience.

Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a slew of decisions including not to send more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoid taking any actions that may further complicate matters.

This round was held with a specific agenda of exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 last year on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.

The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.