News Highlight
India and Chinese troops have completed disengagement at Patrolling Point (PP) 15 in the Gogra-Hot Springs of eastern Ladakh in a phased, coordinated, and verified manner.
Key Takeaway
- The disengagement in the Gogra-Hot Springs area is an outcome of the 16th round of India-China military talks.
- The two sides have agreed to cease forward deployments in this area, resulting in the return of the troops of both sides to their respective areas.
- It marks a step forward to end the standoff since May 2020.
The Hot Springs and the Gogra Post
- Hot Springs are just north of the Chang Chenmo river, and Gogra Post is east of the point where the river takes a hairpin bend, coming southeast from the Galwan Valley and turning southwest.
- The area is north of the Karakoram Range of mountains, which lies north of the Pangong Tso lake, and south east of the Galwan Valley.
- The area lies close to Kongka Pass, one of the main passes, which, according to China, marks the boundary between India and China.
- India’s claim to the international boundary lies significantly east, as it includes the entire Aksai Chin area as well.
- Hot Springs and Gogra Post are close to the boundary between two of the most historically disturbed provinces (Xinjiang and Tibet) in China.
India-China border dispute in the Western Sector:
- The main concern of the dispute in the Western Sector is related to the sovereignty of the Aksai Chin region.
- India argues that Aksai Chin is part of the Indian territory of Ladakh, but on the other side, China argues that Aksai Chin is part of the Xinjiang province of China.
- The historical root cause of the dispute can be traced back to the period of British rule.
- During the British period, two boundary commissions were appointed; one marked Johnson’s line of 1865, which shows the Aksai Chin region of Ladakh is part of India, but McDonald’s line, marked in 1893, shows Aksai Chin is part of Xinjiang province of China.
- India considers Johnson’s line as the correct demarcation, but China upholds McDonald’s, which led to the dispute.
- The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the border between Indian Ladakh and Aksai Chin. It runs parallel to the Chinese claim line of Aksai Chin.
Pic Courtesy: Lowy Institute
Content Source: The Hindu