India wants China to adhere to agreements for a complete disengagement of troops from the border areas

With the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the grip of tension, India and China military commanders sat for another round of talks on Sunday.

This was the seventh in a row of discussions that started last Monday. It was aimed at resolving tensions along the south bank of Pangong Tso lake which erupted after soldiers of the Indian Army preempted intrusions by the Chinese PLA troops on 29-31 August.

This development came just two days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe met in Moscow on the sidelines of SCO defence ministers’ meet.

India wants complete disengagement and de escalation in the border areas, but despite several rounds of military and diplomatic level talks,Chinese PLA troops are staying put in Pangong Tso, Gogra and Depsang.

As such, attention is now on a meeting that is to take place this week between Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, again in Moscow. An official pointed to both the Indian and Chinese statement issued separately after Friday’s discussions talking of keeping the channels of communication open, said the report.

The official also said that the Singh-Wei talks had been requested by the Chinese side. Experts highlighted this as a possible sign that Beijing could be looking for a compromise.

Militarily, New Delhi is prepared for a long haul, ensuring that troops supported by the Indian Air Force stay put along its border with China in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh