File photo of Indian soldiers along the India-China border.
India and China have identified four locations in Ladakh along their disputed border for holding emergency meetings to quickly resolve possible stand-offs between troops, top sources have told NDTV.
This comes a year after a group of Chinese soldiers
intruded deep into Indian territory in the Depsang plains of Ladakh and camped for over a fortnight, leading to heightened diplomatic and border tension.
The four locations - Track Junction, Pangang Tso Lake, Demchock and Chumar - were finalized late last month when a delegation led by the deputy chief of general staff (operations) of the Chinese Army, one of its senior-most officers, Lieutenant General Qi Jianguo, held day-long talks with an Indian Army team led by the vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Dalbir Singh. (Also Read:
Fresh incursion attempt by Chinese soldiers in Ladakh)
All four locations have witnessed intrusions by Chinese troops in recent times, leading to tension at the nearly 4,000-km long Line of Actual Control or LAC, as the unsettled border between the two countries is known.
It was also decided to open two more locations for scheduled annual meetings called Border Personnel Meetings between senior field officers. These have so far been held in Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh, Nathula in Sikkim and Chushul in Ladakh. (Also Read:
New India-China agreement to avoid army face-offs)
Now, Kibithoo in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and Mana Pass in Uttarakhand have been added to that list. The troops meet at least four times a year to mark the national days of both countries.
As part of more Confidence Building Measures or CBMs decided upon when the two neighbours signed a Border Defence Cooperation Agreement in October last year, the Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) will now be connected on hotline with an equivalent officer at the People's Liberation Army HQ in Beijing. (Also Read:
Indian army's big step in plugging gap along China border)
CBMs apart, India has also continued to strengthen its defences in Ladakh after last April's stand-off with China. It has since then moved an additional infantry brigade of 3,000 troops into Ladakh to secure the Sub-Sector North, which includes the Depsang plains.
India has also, for the first time, moved a regiment of tanks in Ladakh to support the existing deployment.
Infrastructure development in Ladakh has been speeded up and many strategically important roads are now being completed. Also, two important advanced landing grounds at Nyoma and Daulat Beg Oldie have been upgraded to allow more landings by bigger transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force like the C-130J Super Hercules.