Even though two years have passed since the deadliest clash in 45 years between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, the two countries are still engaged in talks for the disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). But an early resolution to the standoff is nowhere in sight.
So far, the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have held 14 rounds of talks since the Galwan clashes and one before June 15, 2020, to resolve the standoff, Hindustan Times reported.
However, they were only able to partially disengage soldiers from some friction areas along the LAC.
What happened on June 15, 2020?
On June 15, 2020, the two armies engaged in a violent clash in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. The clash was said to be one of the worst in 45 years. Tensions started escalating weeks before the clash when both armies rushed to deploy more soldiers at the border.
India claimed that the Chinese troops had moved into the Indian side of the LAC. The initial talks for disengagement were held on June 6 between local military commanders of both the armies. However, when the Indian Army noticed a Chinese camp in the buffer zone, a skirmish started.
Although the PLA initially said only four soldiers died in the battle, a report by a group of social media researchers this year said at least 38 PLA troops drowned while crossing a river in darkness, Australian newspaper The Klaxon reported.
Talks continue
India and China have not made much headway in diplomatic talks in the past two years as a trust deficit haunts the ongoing dialogue, Hindustan Times quoted an official as saying.
“As long as talks are on, some forward movement in disengagement can be expected. It’s hard to give a timeline for comprehensive disengagement,” another official told the newspaper.
The last meeting was held on May 31 when officials agreed to continue discussions in the 16th meeting of military commanders.
60k troops on both sides & more
In August 2021, both Indian and Chinese armies pulled back frontline troops from the Gogra-Hot Springs sector. However, despite the disengagement of soldiers from Pangong Tso, Gogra-Hot Springs area and Galwan Valley, there are still around 60,000 troops each from both sides in the Ladakh region.
Both India and China have increased military activities on their respective territories in the past two years, engaging in infrastructure development, deployment of weaponry and combat manoeuvres by the armies.
