India China border / India, China to hold 10th round of military talks on Feb 20

New Delhi: India and China will hold the 10th round of Corps Commander level talks at 10 am on Saturday, 20 February, on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Moldo, ANI reported, quoting sources in the Army.

The two sides will reportedly discuss disengagement from other friction points after the disengagement from both northern and southern banks of Pangong Lake.

The Corps Commanders will discuss other friction areas like Hot Springs, Gogra and 900 square km Depsang Plains. "The initial attempt will be to resolve Gogra and Hot Springs. Finding a solution to Depsang might be tricky and take longer," said an official told IANS.

Meanwhile, NDTV reported, quoting sources, that disengagement on both banks of the Pangong Lake has been completed.

Ninth Round of Talks ‘Constructive’

The ninth round of India China Corps Commander level talks which concluded on Monday, 25 January, were "positive, practical and constructive," with both sides agreeing to "push for an early disengagement of frontline troops," the government said in a statement.

"The two sides agreed that this round of meeting was positive, practical and constructive, which further enhanced mutual trust and understanding. The two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops. They also agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation," the government said in its statement.

“The two sides agreed to continue their effective efforts in ensuring the restraint of the frontline troops, stabilise and control the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the China-India border, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility," the statement said.

Disengagement Underway at the Banks of Pangong Tso

Last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Parliament of the disengagement of the Indian and Chinese troops underway at the northern and southern shores of the Pangong lake, which was a flashpoint in the long-drawn border issue.

“The agreement that we have been able to reach with the Chinese side for disengagement in Pangong lake area envisages that both sides will cease their forward deployments in a phased, coordinated and verified manner,” Singh said in the Lok Sabha.

As per images and videos accessed by The Quint via Indian Army sources, the Indian and Chinese troops can be seen moving away tanks, dismantling structures and de-inducting troops from the sites, as was agreed upon in the ninth round of military commander level talks.