India-China Conflict: Amid Flared-Up Border Tensions, EAM Jaishankar Meets Chinese Foreign Minister In Moscow

The meet assumes high significance amid hopes of a possible breakthrough in reducing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Image: ANI

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing border tensions in Eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday. The meeting between the two ministers was held on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. The meeting between Jaishankar and Chinese State Councilor & Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded after around 2.5 hours in Moscow.  The meet assumes high significance amid hopes of a possible breakthrough in reducing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. An escalation in the border tensions in eastern Ladakh triggered by fresh face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops along the LAC is the reason of concern for the bilateral relations between the two immediate neighbours. The two leaders are expected to have an extensive dialogue over the ongoing tensions, Prior to the meeting when Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava  was asked whether the four-month-long border faceoff will be raised by Jaishankar at the talks, he said: "The external affairs minister will be meeting the Chinese foreign minister shortly where he will be discussing this issue.” Both, Jaishankar and Wang are in Moscow to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. Following fresh confrontation around the southern bank of Pangong lake, India has further strengthened its military presence in the region by sending additional troops, battle tanks and other weaponry. The Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) has also beefed up its presence in the area where the situation remained very tense. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe on the margins of another SCO meet in Moscow last Friday, but apparently the meeting did not yield any tangible outcome. Meanwhile reports state that the Indian Army has occupied heights overlooking the Chinese Army positions at Finger 4 along Pangong lake. The operations to occupy the heights were carried out along with the pre-emptive actions to occupy heights near the Southern bank of Pangong Tso around August-end.