India and China slated to hold 8th round of military-level talks as troops gear up for Ladakh’s sub-zero winters

• India and China are scheduled to hold the 8th round of Corps-Commander level talks today, on November 6.
• The two Asian giants have been locked in a faceoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for nearly seven months now.
• Today’s deliberations will kick off at around 9:30 am with the newly-appointed Commander of the 14 Corps, Lieutenant General PGK Menon representing India.

Tensions continue to simmer between India and China, with them slated to come back to the table today for the 8th round of Corps Commander-level talks. The two Asian giants have been locked in a stalemate along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh for nearly seven months now.


What started in the middle of the summer is now getting dangerously close to the sub-zero Ladakh winters. In the city of Leh, the temperature has already hit 0 degrees Celsius. Both armies have gotten fresh gear, new uniforms, heated accommodations and other supplies as they prepare to face the worst.


The deliberations will kick off at around 9:30 am today, with the newly-appointed Commander of the 14 Corps, Lieutenant General PGK Menon representing India, according to PTI.

The impetus will continue to focus on the disengagement of troops and de-escalation of the tensions simmering between the two countries. Both reportedly have around 50,000 troops at the border right now deployed in a high state of combat readiness.

The Himalayan faceoff hits seven months
The precarious situation between India and China has been brewing since mid-May. The first round of talks between the two sides happened in early June but was soon followed by the Galwan Valley clash, which left 20 Indian soldiers dead and an undisclosed number of casualties on the Chinese side.

During the most recent negotiations, on October 12, India insisted that China move its troops back from the numerous friction points — especially those located within the peaks of the mountains that surrounds Pangong Tso Lake.

Critics pointed out that despite China's incursion into Indian territory, there is yet to be any conversation about restoring the border to its original footing. However, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh issued a bold statement just yesterday, on November 5, that India is prepared to ‘challenge the status quo’ if necessary.

Even S. Jaishankar, India’s Minister for External Affairs, stated that the relationship between India and China is under ‘severe stress’.

China, on the other hand, maintains that the border situation is ‘generally stable’, according to their Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

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