India and China have consented to settle the flaring border dispute along the Line of Actual Control via “peaceful” diplomatic channels, according to the Indian foreign affairs ministry.
The statement on Friday came a day before top military generals of both the nuclear-armed nations are due to meet near the site of their border standoff to try and find a way to de-escalate the situation.
This meeting is the first high-level meeting between Lt General Harinder Singh, the general officer commanding of Leh-based 14 Corps, and his Chinese counterpart.
Indian officials said both sides would first focus on getting both the Indian and Chinese Army to pull back additional battalions and military hardware to their earlier positions.
“We are not in a hurry… and I believe, neither is the Chinese side,” a government official told HT hinting that the Delhi had adopted a “realistic approach” to the border dispute.
According to HT Reports, Indian officials believe that the border deadlock at Pangong Tso appears to be aimed at controlling the Srijap mountain that overlooks the lake, but the dispute in Galwan valley is much more complicated.
China wants to hinder the development of the 255-km Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie road that would give the Indian army comfortable passage to the last military outpost dominating the Karakoram Pass. The Indian side is, however, keen to finish the construction by this summer.
Once this road is completed, the Indian military capability would significantly increase in the region and enable the Indian army counter pressure the Chinese PLA at the Karakoram Pass, Chip Chap river area, Trig Heights, Hot Springs, Galwan and Depsang Plains, HT report says.
Currently, China and its strategic-ally Pakistan are linked by the Karakoram highway via the Khunjerab Pass. But China is looking to connect Tibet with Gilgit Baltistan through a better all-weather road. The idea is to have a more dependable all-weather connectivity to Pakistan so that CPEC remains functional throughout the year.
If the Chinese PLA are able to cut us off at Daulat Beg Oldie, they can put pressure through axis Murgo-Saser La-Sansoma, a prominent logistical supply point for Indian troops stationed to dominate the Siachen Glacier.
That would help Pakistan. HT quoted an officer saying – “you could say that what Pervez Musharaff could not achieve through the Kargil war, China’s supreme leader Xi Jinping expects to achieve it via these tactics.
Via: Hindustan Times
