India, China armies identify expeditious, phased de-escalation as priority

India and Chinese militaries have emphasised on the need for an expeditious, phased and step wise de-escalation as a priority at a nearly 12-hour corps commander-level meeting on Tuesday which was aimed at ending the seven-week bitter standoff in eastern Ladakh, military sources said.

They said the discussions at the talks reflected the commitment of the two sides to reduce tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and more meetings are expected, both at military and diplomatic levels, to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution.

The sources said the process of disengagement along the LAC is "complex" and in such a context, speculative and unsubstantiated reports need to be avoided.

The talks took place on the Indian side of the LAC in Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh. The meeting began at 11 AM and continued for nearly 12 hours, the sources said.

"The meeting on Tuesday was long and held in a businesslike manner keeping in view the Covid-19 protocols. The discussions reflected the commitment of both sides to reduce the tensions along the LAC," said a source.