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India-China Border Standoff LIVE: Status Quo at LAC for 3rd Night; PLA to Return 5 Arunachal Boys Today

News18.com | September 12, 2020, 10:23 AM IST
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India-China Border Standoff LIVE Updates: On a day when they were to be handed back to India, China's state-owned Global Times has claimed that five civilians who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh are "intelligence personnel" sent to spy on China. India has already clarified that the youth are civilians from the border state of Arunachal Pradesh who strayed while on a hunting trip. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had earlier this week conveyed that the five youth, who went missing from Upper Subansiri district, were found by them across the border.

Sources, meanwhile, say status quo was maintained at the Line of Actual Control for the third straight night yesterday. Both sides continue to hold position at heights above 15,000 feet, but there was no escalation, sources said.
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Sep 12, 2020 10:21 am (IST)

Five Indian Civilians Who Went Missing are “Intelligence Personnel”: Chinese Media | China’s state-owned Global Times claims the five civilians who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh are “intelligence personnel”. The five youth were to be handed back to India by the Chinese army today. “Five Indians allegedly kidnapped by China are actually intelligence staff attempting to pry intelligence of China,” the Global Times claimed quoting sources.

Sep 12, 2020 10:03 am (IST)

WATCH | Can India-China Tensions Escalate Into A War?

Sep 12, 2020 9:30 am (IST)

READ | Will Request Centre for Presentation on Situation on India-China Border, Says Sharad Pawar

Pawar said there are other defence-related issues on the table for discussion, but he will make a request that a presentation is made on it.

Sep 12, 2020 9:15 am (IST)

Amid ‘Total Breakdown of Trust‘, India, China Gens to Meet Soon | India and China will hold their sixth round of top-level military talks within the next few days in a bid to defuse the tinderbox-like operational situation in eastern Ladakh, which has seen casualties and shots being fired for the first time in 45 years. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may not have made any aggressive moves for the last couple of days but there is “a complete breakdown of trust” between the two armies, with thousands of rival soldiers, tanks amassed within shooting distance of each other in the Pangong Tso-Chushul area in eastern Ladakh.

Sep 12, 2020 8:53 am (IST)

India, China Continue to Hold Positions in Ladakh | Status quo at LAC for third night running as both sides continue to hold position at heights above 15000 feet but no escalation, said sources. Meanwhile, a visible reduction was noticed in number of air sorties over Ladakh. Assessment on the ground is till the proposed talks on 17th situation would be status quo. 

Sep 12, 2020 8:44 am (IST)

READ | India, China Reach 5-point Consensus on Ladakh Situation, Take Opposing Views on Bilateral Ties

India confronted China over allegations that it was wronged and said the provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC showed disregard for…

Sep 12, 2020 8:37 am (IST)

China Should Peacefully Work with Its Neighbours: US Lawmaker |  Expressing concern over the situation prevailing along the India-China border, a top US lawmaker said that Beijing should work with its neighbours to peacefully resolve disputes and respect international law. "I'm concerned by increasing hostilities along the India-China border and urge both countries to use its longstanding diplomatic mechanisms to de-escalate the situation," Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera said.

Sep 12, 2020 8:22 am (IST)

RECAP | The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on September 1 said the Chinese army "engaged in provocative action" on August 31 even as commanders from both sides were engaged in discussions to de-escalate the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh on the southern bank of Pangong Lake. China’s attempt to unilaterally change the status quo on the Pangong lake was the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. 

"On August 31, even as ground commanders of two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to timely defensive action, Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter status quo," MEA Spokesperson said. READ MORE. 

Sep 12, 2020 8:03 am (IST)

No Change in China Stand on Ladakh After Moscow Meet, Say Govt Sources | Despite China agreeing to de-escalate renewed tensions along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh following a high-level diplomatic meeting in Moscow, India’s understanding remains that the ground situation will remain the same for now. Senior government sources said that reading between the lines suggests that there is no change in Beijing’s stated position after the over two-and-half-hour-long meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.  READ MORE 

Sep 12, 2020 7:55 am (IST)

Russia Welcomes India and China's Decision to De-escalate Tensions | Russia on Friday welcomed India and China's decison to de-escalate tensions in eastern Ladakh, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov saying he was very happy that he could provide his Indian and Chinese counterparts a platform for a very well timed. 

Sep 12, 2020 7:46 am (IST)

READ | Reading Between the Lines: No Change in China Stand on Ladakh After Moscow Meet, Say Govt Sources

Officials said that top leadership has been apprised of the situation after seeing the response from China, and India remains firm that it wants a diplomatic solution of the problem.

Sep 12, 2020 7:41 am (IST)

India won't De-escalate Until There is Complete Disengagement, Says Jaishankar | Foreign minister S Jaishankar told Wang Yi, India would not de-escalate until there is a complete and verifiable disengagement at all points on the LAC, reports TOI. 

Sep 12, 2020 7:35 am (IST)

"Armed Forces Ready For Anything", Says General Rawat | India's armed forces are ready for any eventuality, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat told the Parliament's Standing Committee on Defence, even as tensions between India and China remain high following "provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops" along the LAC - Line of Actual Control, which serves as the de factor border between the two countries. The meeting was attended by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who has been a vocal critic of the government over its handling of the China border row.

Sep 12, 2020 7:27 am (IST)

WATCH | India-China Reach 5 Point Consensus On LAC Standoff But Take Contrasting Views On Bilateral Ties

Sep 12, 2020 7:25 am (IST)

Will Request Centre for Presentation on Situation on India-China Border, Says Sharad Pawar | NCP president Sharad Pawar said there should be a presentation by the government on what is happening on the India-China border, particularly in Ladakh, where the armies of the two countries are involved in a face-off. "There are different defence-related issues that will be discussed in the meeting. I am going to make a request that a presentation on the ground situation should be made," Pawar, who served as the defence minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government, said.

Sep 12, 2020 7:21 am (IST)

Civilians Who Went Missing from Arunachal Pradesh to Be Handed over by China Today | China will hand over the five 'missing' Indian nationals at Wacha near Kibithu border personnel meeting point, said Army sources. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju added that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) would hand over the youths who had gone missing from Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday. 

India-China Border Standoff LIVE: Status Quo at LAC for 3rd Night; PLA to Return 5 Arunachal Boys Today
An Indian Air Force's (IAF) C-17 Globemaster transport plane flies over a mountain range in Leh in the Ladakh region, on September 8, 2020. (REUTERS/Stringer)

Both countries have reached a five-point consensus to resolve the four-month-long military standoff in eastern Ladakh, agreeing to "quickly disengage" troops, avoid any action that could escalate tensions and take steps to restore peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The agreement in which the two countries said the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side was finalised during the "frank and constructive" talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday evening.

The consensus came days after a fresh confrontation between the armies of the two countries in eastern Ladakh on Monday that further escalated the standoff which erupted in May and triggered a massive military build up by both sides in almost all friction points along the LAC, the de-facto border between the two countries. Indian government sources said the five-point agreement will guide the approach of the two countries in tackling the current border situation which has remained volatile and tense.

"The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," said a joint press statement issued by India's Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) in the early hours of Friday. However, there is no mention of any timeline in the statement for disengagement and restoration of peace and tranquillity. India has been consistently maintaining that China should restore status quo ante of April in eastern Ladakh.

The joint statement said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. Significantly, the statement said the ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude "new confidence building measures" to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

At the talks, the Indian delegation highlighted its strong concern over massing of troops and military equipment by China along the LAC besides referring to "provocative behaviour" by the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) personnel at numerous incidents of friction, Indian government sources said. They said the Chinese side could not provide a credible explanation for the troops buildup.

The Indian side insisted that the immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas and that it is necessary to prevent any untoward incident in the future, the sources said. Jaishankar also told Wang that maintenance of peace and tranquillity on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties, the sources added.

He conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. The sources said the Indian side clearly conveyed during the talks that it expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally.

"It was also emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas," said a source. The joint statement also said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus reached between leaders of the two countries on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes.

It was clear that the reference was to the broad decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the talks following the Doklam episode of 2017. "The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question," the joint statement said.

"They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC), should also continue its meetings," it said. Foreign Minister Wang and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are special representatives for the boundary talks. The Indian Army and the PLA have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May. Shots were fired across the LAC on Monday for the first time in 45 years with the two sides accusing each other of firing in the air.

A press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing quoted Wang as having told Jaishankar that it is normal for both the countries to have differences but it is important to put them in proper context and take the guidance of the leaders. "Wang noted that it is normal for China and India to have differences as two neighbouring major countries. What is important is to put these differences in a proper context vis-a-vis bilateral relations", the release said.

Wang stressed that as two large developing countries are emerging rapidly, what China and India need right now is cooperation, not confrontation; and mutual trust, not suspicion, the release added. "Whenever the situation gets difficult, it is all the more important to ensure the stability of the overall relationship and preserve mutual trust", Wang said.

"China-India relations have once again come to crossroads. But as long as the two sides keep moving the relationship in the right direction, there will be no difficulty or challenge that can't be overcome," Wang added. It is also important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed. The frontier troops must quickly disengage so that the situation may de-escalate, he said.

The Chinese side is willing to support enhanced dialogue between the frontier troops on both sides to resolve specific issues. The Chinese side will stay in touch with the Indian side through diplomatic and military channels and be committed to restoring peace and tranquility in the border areas." The meeting between Jaishankar and Wang was the second highest political contact between the two countries in a week. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe had also met in Moscow on September 4 on the sidelines of another SCO meet. In Delhi, Singh and the country's top military brass deliberated on the five-point agreement, government sources said.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen. MM Naravane, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh were among others who were present, they said. The armies of India and China are expected to hold a fresh round of Corps commander-level talks early next week with a focus on implementing certain provisions of the five-point agreement, the sources said.

The sources said the Indian Army will keenly observe Chinese military's overall approach along the LAC in eastern Ladakh to make an assessment of their seriousness in easing tension as agreed in Jaishankar-Wang talks. It is also learnt that Gen. Naravane deliberated on the overall situation in Ladakh as well as on the provisions of agreement with top military officials in the Army headquarters.

In Chushul, another round of Brigade commander-level talks also took place for around four hours from 11 AM on Friday with a focus on bringing down tensions at the face-off sites.

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