New Delhi (NVI): In the eighth round of military-level talks held between India and China held Friday, both sides agreed to ensure that their frontline troops exercise restraint and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
A joint statement issued by India and China today on the eighth round of military-level talks read: “Both sides agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, ensure their frontline troops to exercise restraint and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation.”
During the meeting, the two sides had a candid, in-depth and constructive exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of India-China border areas.
“Both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels, and, taking forward the discussions at this meeting, push for the settlement of other outstanding issues, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. They also agreed to have another round of meeting soon,” read the statement.
Just before the eighth round of talks on Friday, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat had said that India will not accept any shift in Line of Actual Control (LAC), amid the ongoing border tensions with China in eastern Ladakh.
Both sides are locked in a bitter stand-off over the status of LAC since May this year.
Nearly 50,000 Indian Army troops are currently deployed in a high state of combat readiness in various mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh as multiple rounds of talks between the two sides have not yielded concrete outcome to resolve the six-month-long military standoff.
Furthermore, the Chinese PLA has also deployed an equal number of troops, according to reports.
The last round of Corps Commander-level talks took place on October 12 but there was no breakthrough on the disengagement of troops from the friction points.
-ARK
