Indian Army has neither said 'Yes' nor 'No' to the Chinese request for a flag meeting so far
Officers of the two Armies on the ground could be in contact with each other on the ground through telephone hotlines to find a way out of the impasse. (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi: In order to send a strong message to China following the ongoing two-week standoff at Chumar in Ladakh after Chinese border incursions there, the Indian Army is yet to react to requests by the People's Liberation Army for a flag meeting near the Line of Actual Control, while talks between the two governments are taking place to end the impasse caused by the incursions.
Chinese ambassador Le Yucheng met senior external affairs ministry officials Wednesday, when the issue was discussed, but MEA officials dismissed reports that the ambassador was summoned by them.
“Meetings can take place but it does not mean that an Ambassador has been summoned,” said an MEA official when asked about the meeting with the Chinese envoy. The stand-off is also understood to have been discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to the United States. The Army is also keeping the Government apprised of the latest developments in the situation on the ground at Chumar.
“It appears that the Chinese are waiting for some sort of face-saver. India will not be cowed down. The Indian Army is clear that it will not withdraw till the Chinese pull back to their pre-September 10 positions in the area. The Indian Army has neither said 'Yes' nor 'No' to the Chinese request for a flag meeting so far,” sources said on Wednesday evening. But a formal flag meeting between senior officers of the two Armies may take place eventually to break the deadlock.
Officers of the two Armies on the ground could be in contact with each other on the ground through telephone hotlines to find a way out of the impasse, sources indicated.
Earlier, the MEA had maintained that “diplomacy is quietly at work” between the two countries to resolve the stand-off issue following talks at the highest level recently between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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