Indian and Chinese army officials reportedly held a flag meeting in Chusul sector of Leh on Wednesday, a day after Indian troops had foiled an attempt by Chinese soldiers to enter Ladakh, an unidentified official told the Hindustan Times.
The meeting was reportedly held to defuse the tension between the two nations, according to Deccan Herald. However, details of the meeting were not available.
“The Chinese side has sought a flag meeting in the area with the Indians to discuss matter,” the official said, according to the Hindustan Times. This came even as Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson had said she did not have any information about an alleged Chinese incursion in Ladakh.
On Tuesday, soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army had tried to enter the Indian side from two points resulting in stone pelting that caused minor injuries to troops on both sides.
The incident happened at a time when the two neighbours are locked in a standoff thousands of miles away in the disputed Doklam plateau close to Sikkim.
Indian government sources said a “pre-scheduled border personnel meeting” was held in Ladakh’s Chushul area, adding that the Pangong incident was on the agenda.
“The two sides discussed strengthening of existing mechanisms for maintaining border peace and tranquility,” the sources added.
Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitley too refused comments. “This is not a subject on which the government normally makes a comment.”
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson in Beijing said she was not aware of any scuffle along the Ladakh border.
The Asian giants have a long border dispute that led to a war in 1962. The festering feud causes around 400 face-offs every year from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
An official said meetings usually held on August 15 between Chinese and Indian soldiers along the frontier were cancelled on Tuesday. But the event was marked more informally, with both sides exchanging sweets.
