New Delhi: After a gap of two and half months, India and China held their sixth round of diplomatic talks on the Ladakh military stand-off on Friday, during which they expressed cautious optimism, citing that earlier talks had managed to keep peace on the ground.

They also agreed to hold the next round of military commanders talks “as soon as possible”.

The last meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination was held on September 30.

This mechanism, which is held at the level of foreign offices, was activated in June this year as a complementary channel to the military talks that were already being held at various levels to resolve the stand-off.

Since May, thousands of Indian and Chinese troops have been at close proximity in Eastern Ladakh, as they continue to stand ground on their positions in the stand-off that began when China went beyond its earlier lines of patrol along the Line of Actual Control. This stand-off is considered the most serious military confrontation between the two Asian neighbours since their war in 1965.

Also read: Army Sets Up Modern Habitats, Including Heated Tents, for Troops Deployed in Ladakh

In separate press releases, India and China said they would work based on “guidance” provide the leaders and the five-point consensus reached by the two foreign ministers.

Held virtually, the meeting was co-chaired by Naveen Srivastava, MEA joint secretary (East Asia) and Hong Liang, director general of the department of boundary and oceanic affairs of China’s foreign ministry.

China noted that the two sides “spoke highly” of the outcome of the last round of senior commanders' meeting, while India said they had noted that discussions held in the previous two rounds of military talks had “contributed to ensuring stability on the ground”.

The Indian press note stated that the two countries agreed to work towards “complete disengagement in all friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector at the earliest”. This was phrased a bit differently by the Chinese, who said the talks were “focused on the disengagement of front-line troops, and take concrete measures to deal with the issues on the ground to further deescalate the border situation”.

The two press readouts expressed a similar sense of urgency about convening the ninth round of talks between senior commanders. “…(The two sides) agreed to continue dialogue and consultation via diplomatic and military channels, hold the 9th round of Senior Commanders Meeting as soon as possible,” said the media press release from Beijing.

A day earlier, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said that it was India’s expectation that “further discussions will help both sides to achieve an agreement on a mutually acceptable solution for ensuring complete disengagement in all friction points along the LAC in the Western sector and full restoration of peace and tranquillity as early as possible”.

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