India, China close in on intend to end months of military standoff
14 November, 2020
Wanting to end a dangerous military standoff in the western Himalayas, India and China are formulating an idea that involves creating no-patrol zones, pulling back tanks and artillery, and using drones to verify the withdrawal, Indian officials said.
Tensions have run high since June, when at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed after being attacked by Chinese troops using rocks and clubs. Indian officials say the Chinese troops had intruded over the disputed border in a remote valley.
China said the Indian soldiers' actions had been provocative.
Since then, the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours have deployed thousands of troops on the rugged frontier between India's Ladakh region and the Chinese-held Tibetan plateau, raising the chance of further confrontation whilst researching to de-escalate.
After months of fitful progress, both sides are discussing a staggered disengagement from the high-altitude desert where temperatures have dipped to below 18 degrees Celsius, three Indian government officials said.
"We have a company plan for disengagement up for grabs, it is being internally discussed on both sides," said among the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the problem.
Under the plan that was shared throughout a meeting of top commanders last Friday, both sides will pull back from the contested Pangong Tso lake area and set up a buffer zone.
Chinese soldiers will dismantle defence structures on several hilly spurs overlooking the lake and pull back, the officials briefed on the discussions said.
India, which includes occupied heights on the lake's south bank, may also withdraw. Both sides will cease patrolling certain sections.
The 3,800km-long India-China border is undemarcated, and both countries went to war in 1962.
While there have been recurrent incidents down the years, troops from both sides have largely abided by a long-standing protocol in order to avoid firing weapons on the high altitude border, even though some warning shots were fired in September.
India's defence and foreign ministries declined to touch upon the specifics of the most recent negotiations.
"When we have something to talk about, we will share. Discussions are ongoing," foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.
The three officials said that military commanders from both sides could meet within weekly for further discussions on disengagement.
There is no immediate comment from China, but the state-controlled Global Times newspaper cited unnamed sources saying a disengagement plan was under discussion where India would first withdraw troops who had "illegally crossed lines" south of Pangong Tso.
Finding a mutually acceptable sequence for withdrawal could possibly be complicated. Indian troops currently occupy heights on the southern shore of the lake, overlooking Chinese positions.
"If we empty out from there, there is nothing to negotiate,” another Indian official said.
Under the plan outlined by Indian officials, tanks and artillery that two sides had deployed following clash in June would be moved back from the frontline.
These were also discussing ways to verify the troop withdrawal including the utilization of drones over the disputed areas at specific times each day, among the Indian officials said.
"If you are going to establish buffer zones, verification may be the key for this," the state said.
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