India, China End Border Talks In Ladakh; More Troops Deployed

China has accused India of making unreasonable demands in their latest round of talks as the two neighbors continued to blame each other for the latest flashpoints on their disputed border, Laura Zhou reported for the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Photo Insert: Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane inspects the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

India rejected the accusation, saying its suggestions to improve the situation were not accepted by China. Senior Col. Long Shaohua, spokesman for China’s Western Theatre Command, made the claim after the 13th round of commander-level talks between the two militaries, held on Sunday in Moldo, on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

“During the talks, the Chinese side has made great efforts and fully demonstrated its sincerity to promote the de-escalation of the border situation,” Long said in a statement.

“But the Indian side still insists on unreasonable and unrealistic demands, making the negotiations more difficult. China’s determination to safeguard national sovereignty is unwavering and we hope that the Indian side will not misjudge the situation.”

Reporting for Reuters, Devjyot Ghoshal and Gabriel Crossley said Indian and Chinese military commanders met for the 13th time, with Indian officials emphasizing that the confrontation had been triggered by "unilateral attempts of Chinese side to alter the status quo," India's defense ministry said in a statement.

"During the meeting, the Indian side therefore made constructive suggestions for resolving the remaining areas but the Chinese side was not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking proposals," the ministry said, adding that the meeting did not lead to a resolution.

In February, both sides had agreed to pull back troops from some areas around Pangong Tso, a glacial lake at 14,000 ft (4,270 meters), after prolonged negotiations between military commanders and diplomats of the two sides.

Associated Press (AP) writer Ashok Sharma reported that with the standoff continuing, the two sides are looking to continue troop deployment in the forward areas of Ladakh for a second consecutive winter in freezing temperatures.

The talks came amid frustration expressed by the Indian army chief at what he called the massive deployment of troops and weaponry by the Chinese side.

“Yes, it is a matter of concern that the large-scale buildup has occurred and continues to be in place, and to sustain that kind of a buildup, there has been an equal amount of infrastructure development on the Chinese side,” Gen. M. M. Naravane said on Saturday.

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