LAC Standoff: India denies China's claim of complete disengagement

BEIJING: The frontline troops of China and India have "completed" disengagement at most locations of their border, a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday, adding the situation on the ground is easing.

However, Indian government sources in New Delhi said this statement is not correct.

Earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin had made the claim at a briefing in Beijing when he was asked whether the border troops from India and China have completed the disengagement from Galwan, Gogra and Hot Spring areas in eastern Ladakh. The reference to Pangong Tso, a major friction point, was conspicuously absent in the question asked by a reporter from China's official media.

During the briefing, the spokesman noted that China and India have recently conducted "intensive communication through military and diplomatic channels.”

“Now the frontline border troops have completed disengagement in most locations and the situation on the ground is easing," Wang said.

At the briefing, Wang said, “We have held four rounds of commander level talks and three meetings of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC)."

“Now we are preparing for the fifth round of commander level talks to study the settlement of the remaining issue. We hope India will work with China to implement our consensus and uphold peace and stability along our border areas,” he added.

Asked when the next commanders level meeting will be held, Wang said the information will be released in due course.

The ministry of external affairs on Friday said that India and China agreed on "early and complete" disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh and may hold more military talks soon to work out further steps to ensure "expeditiously" complete “disengagement and de-escalation" and restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

India had also asked China to “sincerely implement” the understanding on troop withdrawals reached by senior military commanders of the two sides.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held a nearly two-hour-long telephonic conversation on July 5 to bring down tension between the armies of the two countries in eastern Ladakh.

Both China and India commenced the disengagement process from July 6 following talks between Doval and Wang who are Special Representatives for the boundary question.

The tension in eastern Ladakh escalated manifold after the violent clashes in the Galwan Valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. As per US intelligence reports, the Chinese army suffered 35 casualties.