NEWS: China Refuses to Budge from Pangong Tso, Gogra Post; Pulls Back from Hot Springs

By Legal Wires 6 Minutes Read

Ladakh Border Crisis:

Days after Indian & Chinese military leaders agreed on a shared phased de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, China has refused to pull back from the strategically significant Pangong Tso lake area and the Gogra Post. There is a total stalemate in Chinese pullback in the Pangong Tso Lake area & the Gogra Post. However, China has started pulling back from Hot Springs.

Rendering the experts, China’ refusal to back-off from the Finger 4 area is expected to increase tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations. The Indian Army remains on high alert with 60,000 soldiers, T-90 tanks, Apache attack helicopters, Sukhoi fighter jets, Chinook, & Rudra helicopters deployed along the LAC. The sources said there is a total stalemate at heights in the Pangong Tso area & that Chinese pullback has also been stalled at Gogra Post. It is learned that China has now revived its entitlements over these areas. Temporarily, China has signaled a pullback in the Hot Springs area. The pullback will recommence now.

For the time being, the Indian government’s high-power China Study Group revised the results of the comprehensive conference between India’s XIV Corps Commander and the Xinjiang Military District Commander. The conference was attended by external affairs minister – S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser – Ajit Doval, senior-most officials of the government, and security agencies chiefs.

India & China have been entangled in an enormous standoff at numerous points along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh from the time of early May. The two sides have had some rounds of military & diplomatic talks but the standoff continues. Rigidities between the 2 sides peaked on June 15 when 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel-rank officer, were killed in a ferocious face-off with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley. While China also suffered casualties, it is yet to disclose its details.

Whereas standoffs between India & China along the LAC have befallen in the past, the most substantial being the one in Dokhlam 3 years ago, but this was the first time in over 4 decades that the 2 sides were tangled in bloodshed along the LAC.

The officials furthered that based on the comprehensive meeting, it looks like things have cooled down between India & China (contracting to other reports) & the Chinese PLA is screening marks that it is functioning in the direction of returning to the April 20 status quo.

It was also found that the Chinese PLA has reserved further than its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Patrolling Point 17 (Hot Springs) with all its tents, vehicles & material. Even at Gogra, the Chinese PLA has a precise thin presence of about 30 PLA soldiers in advancing locations, & deadlines have been set for a total elimination by this weekend.

There seems to be some thaw in tensions at the LAC after troops of India and China started to pullback, following several rounds of talks at corps commanders and diplomatic levels according to Times of India.

Nevertheless, New Delhi is thoroughly watching the 1,597km LAC in Ladakh & the 1,127km LAC in Arunachal Pradesh & the soldiers persist on high alert. It is only afterwards the disentanglement is accomplished, the two Special Representatives (Ajit Doval and Wang Yi) will converse steps in the direction of completing de-escalation in addition to ensure that happenings like Galwan Valley are not repeated ever again.