Less than a month after defence ministers of India and China held “frank discussions” on border issues, Major General level talks took place at the Daulat Beg Oldie sector along the LAC in Ladakh on Tuesday.

Defence sources described the meeting as routine that are held at formation level to discuss and resolve normal border issues. ANI news agency stated that the “two sides discussed ways of resolving the ongoing stand-off between two sides”.

The meeting comes at a time when Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Army Chief General Manoj Pande are away from the country on official tour of United States and Egypt respectively.

The two countries had toughened their stand at the defence ministers’ level bilateral talks on resolving the stand off in Eastern Ladakh since May 2020. Rajnath Singh had clearly told his Chinese counterpart that Li Shangfu that peace at borders was key to development in relations among the neighbours.

“The two Ministers had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations. The Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders,” said an official statement issued by the Ministry of Defence after the bilateral meeting held in Delhi on April 28.

As per a statement put out by the Chinese post meeting, Li Shangfu conveyed to India that the border situation is “generally stable” and both the countries should place the boundary issue in an “appropriate position” and promote its transition to “normalised management”. The meeting was meant for gradual de-escalation and disengagement of forces from remaining friction points at Depsang and Demochok along the LAC in Ladakh.

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