Highlights
A five-point agreement was reached between Jaishankar and Wang at a meeting in Moscow on September 10, 2020, on the sidelines of a SCO conclave.
The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, and steps to restore peace along the Line of Actual Control.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday afternoon spoke to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed several matters. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, the EAM asserted that the implementation of the Moscow Agreement and review of the status of disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh was discussed.
Eight months after a brutal clash in the Galwan River valley in Ladakh, in which Chinese troops of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) killed 20 Indian soldiers and took another 10 prisoner, China has acknowledged officially that the PLA suffered serious casualties as well. Soon after that June 15 incident, anonymous Indian government sources had claimed that close to 40 PLA soldiers had been killed. Last week, Russian news agency TASS reported that 45 Chinese soldiers had died in that clash. Beijing, however, had remained silent. On Friday, an article in the PLA Daily, and a post in the PLA’s WeChat account, for the first time revealed official Chinese casualty figures in that incident. The article stated that Qi Fabao, a PLA regimental commander (the equivalent of an Indian brigadier), was seriously injured and four others, including a battalion commander, were killed.
India-China Pangong lake disengagement: Chinese army tanks have retreated to the Sengdong base 50 km away and India has been monitoring the entire process of retreat. By February 20, the withdrawal of forces will be completed, and within 48 hours, a discussion will begin at the Corps Commander level to find a solution to other disputed sites, including the Depsang Plains.
India-China LAC disengagement: The scale of disengagement can only be seen when the first visuals of the disengagement were released by the Indian Army on Tuesday. The visuals showed infantry disengagement, Chinese PLA tents being dismantled, and carrying load-backs while moving to the rear areas. After Chinese troops and tanks, now Chinese infantry is retreating from both sides of Pangong Lake.