In the last round, the Indian Army insisted on an early disengagement by Chinese troops.
Highlights
- In last round, India insisted on early disengagement by Chinese troops
- Some 50,000 Indian Army troops are currently deployed in the area
- Wont Reduce Troops At Border Unless China Does: Rajnath Singh
Military commanders of India and China today met for a ninth time for talks to defuse tension along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and find a solution to end the standoff. In the last round of talks, the Indian Army strongly insisted on an early disengagement of troops by China from all points of friction in eastern Ladakh.
Today's military negotiations began at around 10 am at Moldo border point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, PTI reported, citing sources.
The nearly nine-month-long military standoff has seen tension rise along the LAC. Some 50,000 Indian Army troops are currently deployed in a high state of combat readiness in mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh in sub-zero conditions, as multiple rounds of talks between the two sides have failed to resolve the standoff.
China has deployed an equal number of troops, officials said.
India will not reduce its troop strength unless China initiates the process, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday in an interview to Times Now. Expressing confidence that a solution to the row could be found through talks, he said India is developing its border infrastructure, some of which China has objected to, at a "very fast rate".
According to a transcript of the interview issued by the channel, when asked about the dialogue process with China on the row, Mr Singh said, "There is no deadline when it comes to matter like the ongoing standoff. You can't fix a date."