Chinese and Indian forces in some spots in eastern Ladakh have started mutual disengagement ahead of the next series of military discussions set on Wednesday, sources disclosed.
Based on reports, a big number of Chinese soldiers have left the area ahead of the talks. Except for the Pangong Tso Finger area, Chinese troops have begun to pull back two to three kilometers, sources said. The Indian side has also ordered a number of its forces and military vehicles to withdraw from the said areas, top sources added.
Top government officials disclosed that the actions on China's side in pulling out their troops had begun on Tuesday. "We have also reciprocated and moved our troops back," a top official on Tuesday evening announced, Shishir Gupta of Hindustan Times, reported.
The process in restoring the status quo ante has been carried out at the standoff areas, official said, and the next actions will be tackled in a meeting of major general ranking officers set Wednesday.
Unconfirmed footage has also circulated on both Indian and Chinese sides that purportedly showed military incursions and scuffles between troops. Based on reports, the Chinese military maneuvers were part of a campaign intended to diminish India's determination to engage in any military action in the border, which China itself does not want to be part of.
The standoff began after a scuffle on May 5 after Chinese soldiers reportedly clashed near Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh. This was the first major flare-up along the LAC since the 2017 Doklam 73-day standoff. Also, Chinese troops reportedly moved to three more locations in the Galwan sector, establishing a standoff with additional troops and support elements at three locations in the Galwan Valley.
Meanwhile, China may be the European Union's rival, but the country does not pose a threat to global peace, European Union foreign relations director Josep Borrell disclosed on Monday.
Borrell emerged from a three-hour video discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on defending what he called Beijing's realistic approach.
According to Borrell, and as quoted by Jacopo Barigazzi of The Politico, China has a "global ambition but at the same time I don't think that China is playing a role that can threaten world peace."
Borrell added that the country has proved anew that it wants to play a global role but it has no military aspirations and it does not want to participate in military conflicts.
