New Delhi: India and China are deploying two Lieutenant General-rank officers for talks this week to resolve the ongoing standoff in Ladakh, stepping beyond established protocols as tensions on the border refuse to die down.
India’s 14 Corps Commander will meet the chief of China’s Southern Xinjiang Military District on 6 June in eastern Ladakh after the protocol in place — where talks involve local tactical commanders — failed to resolve the month-long border row.
Military experts have described the step as “unprecedented”, saying it shows India is in for a hard bargain as it looks to find a way out of the border row.
“I have not seen Corps Commander level officers carrying out military talks,” former Northern Army Commander Lt Gen. D.S. Hooda (Retd) said Wednesday as he addressed an online seminar organised by the Delhi-based think-tank Institute of Chinese Studies.
The talks are an indication that current protocols for resolving problems are not working, he added, and called for new protocols.
Also Read: Northern Commander in Ladakh, Army moves more troops amid standoff with China
No breakthrough yet
The proposed lieutenant general-level talks come after multiple rounds of military dialogue, at various levels, failed to achieve any breakthrough even as diplomatic parleys continue between Delhi and Beijing to calm the situation in eastern Ladakh, which has seen a heavy troop build-up and transgressions at a number of locations since early May.
The 6 June meeting is unprecedented because, according to the established protocol, talks are held at the local tactical commander level. In the past, the highest level of talks have involved divisional commanders, who are major general-rank officers.
Lt Gen. Hooda said current protocols, which include showing of flags and banners to defuse the situation when India and Chinese patrol parties come face to face, are not working. “Maybe we should look at new protocols,” he added.
However, addressing the same seminar, Lt Gen. S.L. Narasimhan (Retd), a member of the National Security Advisory Board, called for better implementation of existing protocols.
“We need to work at making the already existing mechanism work more efficiently. I think that will be a better way of doing it rather than going for a new protocol,” he said.
Also Read: Remember Vajpayee-Nehru episode? That is why Congress must let Modi off the hook on China
‘Pandemic hasn’t had much impact on PLA’
Both the officers, however, agreed on the fact that the coronavirus pandemic has not had much impact on the modernisation and operational ability of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
“There has been no disruption in PLA modernisation,” Lt Gen. Narasimhan said, adding that Chinese naval and space programmes are on track. Any impact of the pandemic, he said, will only be temporary.
Lt Gen. Narasimhan noted the increase in China’s defence spending in the latest budget (6.6 per cent) and said it is actually higher than the expected growth rate of the Chinese economy.
“A lot of their technology is indigenous and, hence, they have more value for money,” he said, pointing out that India relies on imports to a large extent.
Also Read: More ‘Ladakh clashes’ emerge as India-China tension turns into social media battle
Request authorized personnel to send Mr.Depak to China bcoz he says long live China
Dear Indians,
Don’t bring Pakistan into every trouble you guys get into. Yep we can’t fight India because of our begging bowl but you guys are also too narrow minded and your army is even behind ours in almost about everything except strength and munitions which are you trump cards against us. Now you guys are up against someone who is better prepared in every department so just solve the problem peacefully and move on. Both of us are not at good terms with our neighbour’s so better change ourselves then beating religious and war drums everyday.
Nibbling away our borders/ posing and exerting pressure is a game which they have embarked upon to undermine our society to fulfill their mission of exploitation.
This needs to stop somewhere
The Chinese are a bunch of narrow sighted chimpanzees.
Long live China….
And India?
Read it for what it is worth, an opinion only. India is in a position of super strength from this point onwards, China will give an arm and three Pakistans for India to not side with US and the west. India don’t need alms from any side so it should stay non-aligned, strong and in a position to negotiate terms. Our other banana republic neighbour May find glory in owning all begging bowls of the world.
I wouldn’t be banking on western help mate, America asked its allies for help against oil rich Iran and were told NO by all including Britain, Australia and the EU. If they don’t have an appetite to help Trumps America against Iran there is no chance they will entertain taking on China over a glacial lake. Best you two sort your fresh water problems out yourselves.
This mentality has brought u guys on foot. God save you people.
Evil china will not back off at all, they already made it this far and with the bioweapon Chinavirus, they will over run Indian curry fortresses with times! Indian must not show any sign of weakness or coward, 1 wrong move, India is finished! Stand your ground and fight like a pit bull never let go of the evil china hand!
You mean Evil USA/UK/Israel/EU… China pales in significance compared to these Evil nations…
Media should not trigger sensitive issues. It should be impartial and should never involve in biased or provocative conclusion. Never blow up any matter
Some one in the comments said if pakistan and China both attack India together then India will not have a chance. I would tell him to get his facts checked, Pakistan can’t even move a single strand of hair of India, forget anything else. China is a foe to reckon with but nowadays the whole world is against it so it can’t do much otherwise, India will ofcourse take their case royaly but also there will be more countries who will be doing the same. So chill and hope things are resolved peacefully for Chinese innocent civilians sake or else India if comes to its own is a formidable force to reckon with too, period.
How can The Print allow remarks like below to be published ike “death to India”? what is your moderator doing?
Imtiaz Ahmed 5 June, 2020 at 5:05 pm
This protocol will not work, the chines side will put the demands on the table about ladakh, arunchal pardesh and others parts of India, which China claim its their occupied territory by India, and conventional behavior the Indian side will adopt, according to me the limited conventional war can’t be avoided, bcos this is our experience when it comes to India they use delaying tactics and others option. They are the follower of chanakya and before coming to table talk the chines should read about the chanakya in chines for better understanding. I am hopeful China will not show flexibility on his principal stand and aggressively put their demands on the table to show the real face and real weight of India to the world. Best wishes WITH PRC and PLA, DEATH TO INDIA.
India must be ever watchful. Cannot and do not believe China at all, if at all at their own will advantages. So we must improve militarily and be always Offensive and defensive. Then only we can deal with China. We also must cooperate with other Countries grouping against China. India Chin bye bye will not work at all. Over all India position is very sandwiched with Pakistan, China and now Neepal in three sides. Hope Bangladesh may not cause such grave problems, but we must be careful there also. So any one can guess or imagine our position well.
Print is an INC personal owning news channel. So obviously it is anti national.
So the previous article that India’s finer has come under Chinese boots must be rewritten 🙂
The print has many one sided views on their article. one of them was on the India – China raw too.
India has to not let it’s gard down any way . If the Chinese position on recent aggression is favourable to them ( if ) , then India must infiltrates on other point were we are in superior position . This tactics work without any militery confertation. & Is ‘ it for tat ‘
For grabbing and/ or claiming illegally, a piece or parcel of barren ,unproductive ,and year round uninhabitated land belonging to – but not occupied by- india ,near LAC , China can not…just can not afford to spoil relations with india at these crucial times. If it does, then it should suffice to prove that it is a developed country with mindset of a ‘ Developing country’.
Not good
WE MUST UNFOLD ALL POSSIBLE WAYS TO AVOID WAR. LEVEL OF MTG. IS NOT IMPORTANT BUT RESOLVING THE DISPUTE WITHOUT BLOOD SHADE IS IMPORTANT.
DIPLOMATIC TALKS R SIMULTANEOUSLY ON. BE CALM N WATCH. HV FAITH IN PM N CONCERNED AUTHORITIES WHO R ON THE JOB. VERY BROAD THINKING IS ESSENTIAL.
Can we say print is very judiciously trying to hypnotise readers that indian army is weak. I have read articles in print which say that India is not enough for fight with china.is it wantedly done? If yes then the web channel should be banned for sometime.
Atheism works in China’s case… Wheras South Asians still rely on their Allahs and Bhagwans
This protocol will not work, the chines side will put the demands on the table about ladakh, arunchal pardesh and others parts of India, which China claim its their occupied territory by India, and conventional behavior the Indian side will adopt, according to me the limited conventional war can’t be avoided, bcos this is our experience when it comes to India they use delaying tactics and others option. They are the follower of chanakya and before coming to table talk the chines should read about the chanakya in chines for better understanding. I am hopeful China will not show flexibility on his principal stand and aggressively put their demands on the table to show the real face and real weight of India to the world. Best wishes WITH PRC and PLA, DEATH TO INDIA.
This mentality has brought u guys on foot. God save you people.
New situation needs new ways of solutions…
Chinese are having border disputes at 11 places with different nations!
This move is to counter pressure coming from American President. Come Nov elections, the next Pres. will deal the matter differently.
Thus China will lower it’s stand off.
Both the indian and china Goverment should respect each others and make flexibikity on issues if persist during meet of Army Generals because in the world no any country is in a position to declare a war in these pedamic days.We all should pray for peace and properity for the both country men and remain friendly with each others
China was watching such a long time that how India graphing the hand when China give him a finger. Now Hitler modi wants to write his name to create hinduta after ghandi he is making trouble to China napal Bangladesh and Pakistan. Hitler modi forgot that Christian Sikh Muslim parsi dalet are the part of India the minorities came in dowerry when India married with British.
The loss credit goes to Congress. They completley compromised in national security. They never thought to develop infrastructure near border. But Chinese keeping developing their infrastructure. Now they reached quickly by the time we reached the spot
Letting off the present dispensasion under PM Modi for the unfortunate encroachment on LAC on the Ladakh front by the PLA is fraught with future dangers. This dispensasion has messed up everything in the country including the otherwise apolitical defense forces. For God sake please think of a National all party govt at the center under an acceptable national personality before it’s too late late to retrieve the situation.. War is no solution because China is not Pakistan.
You can’t compete with pak,let alone China. Pak taught India how to fight even with minimal strength on February 27,2019…..war tactics have changed tremendously in this modern age but India’s military mind-set still in the middle ages…..if pak & China attack together, then India will be nowhere….
If you really believe the west would abandon India to Pakistan and Chinese then you have rocks in your head.
Aussies just drew up a new military agreement with India last week and India approaching the US for assistance militarily would be a US wet dream. Not to mention the UK is a staunch Indian ally.
The UN would sanction China into non existence.
China – India border disputes can be traced back to the 1842. A resolution to this border dispute was reached in 1899 with the Macartney – Macdonald Line, which was accepted by China. China attended the Shimla Accord meeting in 1914, but it did not accept the principal document of the Agreement; however, Tibet as an independent nation signed the deal. In this deal, Tibet relinquished several miles of territory to the British Crown. This Territory was incorporated into the NEFA and it included Tawang. Historically, Tawang is the birth place of the sixth Dalai Lama and Dalai Lamas ruled Tibet. However, in the 1914 Agreement Tawang became part of the NEFA that was integrated into India prior to independence in 1947.
I don’t know maybe it’s deliberately written to somehow leave a very hideous , India is weak sense…so ..India is standing up…let it take time…who cares…
The Chinese President wants to write his name in History. Thats why he is looking for war. He dosen’n want his name to forget like others leaders who lead in the peace time. He wanted to be like Churchill or Hitler, Maybe like Stalin.
Like Mr Modi
We Indians are the most cowards. Our soldiers were helpless when Chinese were mounting on them. Modi is the curse for us.