BEIJING/NEW DELHI, Feb 10:
The frontline troops of China and India at the south and north banks of the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh started “synchronised and organised” disengagement from today, the Chinese Defence Ministry said, in what is seen as a forward movement in the overall disengagement process to defuse the over nine-month border standoff.
There was no official comment by either the Indian defence ministry or the Indian Army on the Chinese statement but people familiar with the development said both sides are in the process of pulling back their armoured units like tanks and armoured personnel carriers.
The people mentioned above said specific steps like the withdrawal of armoured elements from the friction points were discussed threadbare at the ninth round of high-level military talks on January 24 that lasted for around 16 hours.
The office of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, tweeted that he will make a statement in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday on the situation in eastern Ladakh.
“Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh will make a statement in Rajya Sabha tomorrow regarding ‘Present Situation in Eastern Ladakh’,” it said.
Authoritative sources in the Indian defence and military establishment did not refute the Chinese defence ministry’s statement on the developments in the northern and southern banks of Pangong lake, an area that witnessed major face-offs since the row erupted on May 5.
People familiar with the situation in eastern Ladakh said both sides are in the process of pulling back their armoured units in line with steps agreed upon for overall disengagement in the last round of military talks, adding a clear picture will emerge soon.
“The Chinese and Indian frontline troops at the southern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake start synchronised and organised disengagement from February 10,” spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defence Senior Colonel Wu Qian said in a brief statement in Beijing. The statement did not provide details.
“This move is in accordance with the consensus reached by both sides at the 9th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting,” it said.
Separately, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the frontline troops of the Chinese and Indian militaries began to conduct simultaneous and planned disengagement in the Pangong Lake area on Wednesday as per consensus reached at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries in Moscow in September and the ninth round of Corps commander-level talks.
“We hope the Indian side will work with China to meet each other halfway, strictly implement the consensus reached between the two sides and ensure the smooth implementation of the disengagement process,” Wang Wenbin said in a statement.
“This move is in accordance with the consensus reached by both sides at the 9th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting,” the official added.
A source in the Indian military and defence establishment said there has been some “forward movements” but at the same time added that India will only go by what is happening on the ground. (PTI)
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