India has been insisting on troop disengagement at the vital Patrolling Point 15 and the remaining friction areas like PP 17 and 17A in Hot Springs, Gogra post and raised the issues of Depsang Plains and Demchok were raised during Friday’s discussions.

New Delhi: The 15th round of Corps Commander-level talks between India and China was held on Friday (March 11). Sources in the Indian security establishment said they were hopeful of reaching an understanding to reduce the number of additional troops and weapons positioned in the region by both sides.

Chinese troops are reportedly blocking Indian soldiers from accessing five traditional patrolling limits in Depsang Plains, close to India’s strategic Daulat Beg Oldi base in the north. In Demchok, too, some Chinese have pitched tents on the Indian side of the LAC.

Sources said the issues of Depsang Plains and Demchok were raised during Friday’s discussions.

For China, the delegation was headed by Maj Gen Yang Lin, commander of the South Xinjiang Military District, who too had led the discussions in the 14th round in January for the first time.

The Indian delegation was led by the commander of XIV Corps, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, which is responsible for the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in eastern Ladakh,

Corps commanders met for the 15th round on Friday nearly two months after the 14th round of talks on January 12, 2022.

In February, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said India would not agree to any change in the status quo and any attempt to change the LAC unilaterally by one side.

The Chinese foreign ministry recently said the two sides could make a step forward on the border issues, reach a solution and seek proper settlement of the disputes.

India has been insisting on troop disengagement at the vital Patrolling Point 15 and the remaining friction areas like PP 17 and 17A in Hot Springs, Gogra post.

The illegal construction of a bridge on Pangong Lake by China in Eastern Ladakh also came up in the talks.