The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: The 28th round of diplomatic talks between India and China to resolve issues and complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh have ended with no clear indications of a major breakthrough.
These were virtual talks, which took place under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs. Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, led the Indian delegation while director-general, boundary and oceanic affairs in the Chinese foreign ministry, Hong Liang.
The MEA has called the talks “constructive”.
The two sides “reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas, and engaged in an open, constructive and in-depth discussion of proposals to resolve the remaining issues and achieve complete disengagement in Eastern Ladakh,” the official statement of the MEA said.
Tensions between India and China came to a boil with clashes near the Pangong Lake at the eastern Ladakh border on May 5, 2020. On June 15, 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
These were the first military casualties along the India-China border in four decades.
The MEA noted that both sides “further agreed on the need to maintain peace and tranquility along the border areas, ensure a stable situation on the ground and avoid any untoward incident[s].”
The next round of senior commanders’ talks were discussed by both sides, who resolved to conduct them “at the earliest to achieve the above objective”.
China’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, has said that its military values its relations with its Indian counterpart. It also said the 20 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks have helped to ease tensions amidst the eastern Ladakh standoff, PTI separately reported.