The Chinese and Indian military officials have agreed to “speed up” the settlement of relevant issues related to the prolonged standoff in eastern Ladakh, according to a statement by the Chinese Defence Ministry. The 18th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting was held on April 23, ahead of Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu’s planned visit to India to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The talks were described as “frank and in-depth” by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and the two sides agreed to maintain close contact and dialogue through military and diplomatic channels to resolve the remaining issues. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.
As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides have completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area.
In June 2020, a violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops. This led to a significant deterioration in bilateral relations between India and China, with both sides accusing each other of violating the border agreement.
However, following several rounds of military and diplomatic talks, both sides agreed to disengage and withdraw their troops from the north and south banks of Pangong Lake and the Gogra area. This was seen as a significant de-escalation of tensions between the two countries. The recent 18th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side on April 23 aimed to further speed up the settlement of relevant issues related to the prolonged standoff in eastern Ladakh besides safeguarding peace in the border areas.
