In order to improve confidence-building measures, decrease friction, and close the trust gap between the two armies prior to the two major clashes at Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh, India and China are currently scheduled to hold discussions at the Major General level.
Sources stated on Thursday that the CBMs needing improvement include “preserving the sanctity” of the buffer zones, rigidly adhering to border regulations, exchanging prior information on patrols, and refraining from increasing force levels along the perilous Eastern Ladakh border.
The objective aims to prevent clashes or unintentional vertical escalation between the heavily armed, forward-deployed rival troops at the Depsang and Demchok face-off locations, as well as within the buffer zones established after troop disengagements at the Pangong Tso-Kailash range, Galwan Valley, and Gogra-Hot springs.
According to a source, the decision to have Major General-level negotiations between India and China just after corps commander-level negotiations ended without a breakthrough was a part of a larger effort to withdraw at the border.
The source explained, “It’s a continuing process to maintain peace and tranquility on the ground till disengagement, followed by de-escalation and de-induction of troops, can take place.”
This becomes crucial in the weeks leading up to the BRICS summit in South Africa on August 22–24, which President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi will both attend. On September 9–10, Xi has a scheduled visit to New Delhi for the G20 conference.
The new military meeting will take place after the 19th round of corps commander talks, which is a level above the Major General-level talks and took place on August 13–14, failed to produce any tangible progress for the restoration of Indian patrolling rights at the strategically located Depsang Plains and the Charding Ninglung Nallah (CNN) track junction near Demchok.
Sources disagree, saying that the discussions were “better than the previous few rounds” and that there was “some amount of agreement to move ahead” with reinforcing CBMs rather than adding more soldiers to the LAC.
Previously, there had been regular meetings at the major general and brigadier levels aimed at “better border management” and “operationalising” decisions made at the corps commander level.