Third flag meeting between Brigadier-level officers from India and China held yesterday in Chushul in Ladakh to resolve the issue of incursion by Chinese troops 19 km inside in Daulat Beg Oldi remained inconclusive. However,diplomatic and defence sources said efforts are on in the right direction to resolve the issue. According to defence sources in New Delhi,the Chinese side remained firm on its demand that India should dismantle its infrastructure developed in Eastern Ladakh which includes some newly-constructed bunkers at key vantage points and roads constructed close to the Indian perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
In the meeting, India also made its stand clear that there should be an unconditional withdrawal of Chinese troops from the Indian territory as per the agreements signed between
the two sides on earlier occasions.
At the Unified Commanders' Conference also, Defence Minister A K Antony took a tough stand on the issue saying that India was not to be blamed for the incursions as it was not one of Indi'a's creation.He emphasised that India would take every possible step to safeguard its interest in the area.The minister said top initiatives to safeguard India’s borders included building border roads and advance landing grounds to support troops.Mr.Antony said bilateral relations with China were sometimes, bedeviled by border issues, and the recent developments were no exception.
The situation was also discussed at length during a security review meeting Mr.Antony had with National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and the three Services chiefs.
The two earlier meetings on the issue between the two sides had failed to yield any outcome and the Chinese soldiers have even started to increase their presence in the area by
erecting new tents.