External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said India will focus on de-escalation once the disengagement agreement between India and China to end the military stand-off in eastern Ladakh is fully implemented.
The two sides this afternoon held the 26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in Beijing.
The 11th round of meeting will focus on disengagement in areas like Gogra, Depsang and Hot springs. The two countries have successfully completed disengagement of troops at the Pangong Tso Lake area.
Following Galwan, there were economic and diplomatic actions, including banning Chinese investments as also refusing to participate in Shanghai Cooperation exercises, thereby linking trade and diplomatic ties with peace and tranquility along the LAC.
Friction points like Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang plains are focus of 10 round of military talks
The Indian Army released a video of the disengagement process at the lake in which the PLA troops are seen dismantling tents and bunkers
Further, in order to support the military effort, the government reacted swiftly in providing the necessary funding when faced with the situation in Ladakh. It granted emergency powers to the Armed Forces wherein the Indian Armed Forces could procure any weapon system below Rs 500 crore.
"China will keep its troops to the east of the Finger 8 in the north of Pangong Lake. India will keep its troops at its permanent base near Finger 3," said Rajnath Singh.
There was no immediate confirmation of the Chinese claim by the Indian side, but news agency PTI quoted people familiar with the development as saying both sides are in the process of pulling back their armoured units like tanks and armoured personnel carriers.
The 6th round of meeting between Indian and Chinese commanders had taken place on 21 September after which both sides for the first time issued a joint statement which called for "earnestly" implementing the "important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries". They had also agreed to "stop sending more troops to the frontline".
