New Delhi: With outside night temperatures plummeting to more than minus 40 degrees in many places in eastern Ladakh, the Indian and Chinese militaries are indulging in something akin to a ‘cat-and-mouse game’ in trying to finalise a date for the ninth round of talks for ‘disengagement and de-escalation’.
Both forces are mobilized in an unprecedented manner in the region with men and assets deployed across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and elsewhere along the frontier areas between the two Asian giants.
“When we propose a date on the phone, they (PLA) suggest another date. Their dates are also not acceptable to us for various reasons. So we are yet to reach any consensus on a date for the ninth round of talks to take place,” a government source told ETV Bharat on condition of anonymity.
The official’s statement adds substance to the belief that nothing much will happen till winter departs and that both the militaries have pretty much dug in for the period. The inclement weather and extremely hostile terrain also make it near impossible for any large-scale military movements to take place at this time of the year.
Not just the men but the heavy equipment including big artillery guns that had been transported to the high reaches will pose a logistical nightmare to get back to their old positions or at least to the rear areas.
Till now eight rounds of talks—June 6, June 22, June 30, July 14, August 2, September 21, October 12 and November 6—have taken place.
The next round will also see two new officers at the helm which will be favourable for a ‘honourable disengagement and de-escalation’ to end the about nine-month-long standoff.
While Lieutenant-General PGK Menon, the 14 Corps commander, took over on October 14, 2020 and had led the last round of talks at Chushul, the Chinese side has a new commander for the overall PLA’s Western Theatre in General Zhang Xudong who recently took over from the hawkish Gen Zhao Zongqi on December 14, 2020.
Gen Zhang is responsible for the border with India from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh and will have a major say in deciding the direction of the talks while the PLA delegation at the talks will be led by PLA’s South Xinjiang Military district commander Major-General Lin Liu.
Besides the military officials, both sides will also have diplomats from their respective foreign ministries taking part in the talks.
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