Stalemate continues after 15th round of India-China military talks on Ladakh stand-off

Vishal Thapar Mar 12, 2022

The 15th round of India-China Corps Commander-level talks on resolving the 22-month-long military stand-off at Ladakh ended without an outcome but both sides agreed to “maintain the security and stability on the ground in the Western sector” pending resolution through dialogue.

The two sides reaffirmed that a resolution of the stand-off would “facilitate progress in bilateral relations”.

The meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on March 11. The Indian and Chinese sides were led by Lt General Anindya Sengupta and Major General Yang Lin respectively.

A joint statement released on March 12 indicated that the talks were cordial even though there was no forward movement. The Indian side was pushing for troop disengagement on Patrolling Point (PP) - 15 in the Hot Springs area of Demchok as an incremental way forward to ending the most serious face-off on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in over five decades.

“The two sides carried forward their discussions from the previous round held on 12th January 2022 for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. They had a detailed exchange of views in this regard, in keeping with the guidance provided by the State Leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.

“They reaffirmed that such a resolution would help restore peace and tranquility along the LAC in the Western Sector and facilitate progress in bilateral relations. The two sides also agreed to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector in the interim. They agreed to maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest,” the joint statement read.