(TibetanReview.net, Jul24’24) – China has this month completed the construction of a bridge in the Indian claimed territory held by it overlooking the Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh, making it easier for movement of troops and heavy army vehicles and equipment, reported theprint.in Jul 22. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between Chinese ruled Tibet and India cuts through this lake.
Meanwhile, “cordial interaction” has been taking place between Indian and Chinese troops on the two sides across the length of the LAC during the past month to settle local-level issues, reported timesnownews.com Jul 22. However, there has been no progress on India’s demand that China withdraw its troops from the standoff areas in eastern Ladakh to their pre-2020 positions and this continues to bedevil overall bilateral ties between the two countries.
A diplomatic-level meeting between the two sides agreed to be held soon after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit early this month still does not seem to have taken place.
The LAC is 4,057-km long and traverses three areas of northern Indian regions: western (Union of Territory of Ladakh), middle (states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and eastern (states of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh).
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Indian and Chinese soldiers have met at different levels and different places over the last fortnight, and the talks were to sort out, among other things, local level issues, said the timesnownews.com report.
It said that on Jul 13, a delegation-level meeting (usually between brigadiers) between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian side took place at Lipulekh pass in the Uttarakhand area, lasting several hours. It is “better to talk and sort out problems on the ground,” a senior official was quoted as saying.
On the same day, a ground commanders meeting (usually between colonels) took place in the morning for about an hour in the once-troublesome Hot Springs area of eastern Ladakh, the report added.
The day was also reported to have seen a brief and cordial morning meeting between 5 officers of the PLA and Indian troops in Sikkim.
Other shorter meetings were stated to have been held before that, including one on Jul 11 at Tangkar La (Sikkim), with the participation of three PLA officers and three men from Indian side.
Other brief “cordial interactions” were stated to have taken place on Jul 12 at Phimkaru La (Sikkim) and in the Shankar Tekri (eastern Ladakh) with the involvement of varying numbers of PLA officers and men and people from the Indian side.
These have been meant to sort out local problems in a sign of stability along the (LAC, the report said.
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However, reports early this month that diplomats from India and China will soon meet to make yet another attempt to reach an agreement on mutual withdrawal of troops from the remaining face-off points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh still does not seem to have taken place so far.
That decision followed a meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sideline of the SCO summit in Astana, Capital of Kazakhstan, on Jul 4. At that meeting, the two sides agreed that the bilateral Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs should hold another meeting soon, reported deccanherald.com Jul 4.
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Meanwhile, latest satellite images show that China has completed this month the construction of a bridge in Khurnak, the narrowest part of the Pangong Tso. Latest satellite images show that the black topping has been completed this month, said the theprint.in report.
The images, published by satellite imagery expert Damien Symon, who goes by the ‘X’ handle _Detresfa, is stated to show that the bridge connecting the north and south banks of Pangong Lake appeared to be ready for use shortly.
Imagery from Pangong Tso shows the new bridge is nearly ready, with its surface recently asphalted (blacktopped). The bridge boosts the Chinese forces' mobility in the area, providing quicker access to conflict zones & Indian positions around the lake. pic.twitter.com/m0j4tcaBpw
— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) July 22, 2024
The bridge enhances the mobility of Chinese forces and helps cut down the time needed to launch a quick operation. It will help Chinese troops along with their tanks access areas in the southern banks like the Rezang La where they were outsmarted by the Indians in 2020, the report noted.
Cutting down a 180-km loop from Khurnak to the south banks through Rutog county in Tibet, the bridge will also give the Chinese the capability to bring heavier war fighting equipment to the finger areas in the northern bank of Pangong Tso.
Also, while the stand-off was on in the southern banks of Pangong Tso, between Sep 2020 and mid-2021, the Chinese had built a new road to the Moldo garrison to circumvent the visibility arc of the Indian soldiers and equipment on top of advantageous heights, the report added.