In what marks a breakthrough after several rounds of military and diplomatic talks, India and China have kicked off step-wise disengagement from the two-month-long confrontation in Galwan Valley and Gogra-Hot Springs areas of eastern Ladakh, with People’s Liberation Army soldiers also moving back slightly from the seemingly intractable face-off site at Pangong Tso. Chinese soldiers “have removed some tents and seem to be pulling back” towards ‘Finger-5’ (fingers are mountainous spurs) from ‘Finger-4’ on the north bank of Pangong lake, in accordance with Phase-I of the de-escalation plan thrashed out between the rival corps commanders on June 30. This is significant as the confrontation here is seen to be particularly sticky to resolve.