China on Tuesday said border troops had “disengaged in most localities” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), but defence sources said disengagement had only been “partial” at one of the locations that Beijing appeared to be referring to.
China also acknowledged for the first time that issues were yet to be resolved at Pangong Lake, which is likely to be taken up at the fifth round of Corps Commander-level talks set for later this week.
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Incomplete exercise
Disengagement has been completed from stand-off sites at Patrolling Point (PP) 14 at Galwan Valley and PP 15 in the Gogra-Hot Springs area. It is, however, only partially completed at PP17A, another patrolling point in the Gogra-Hot Springs area, and also incomplete at Pangong Lake, defence sources said, adding that there was no change in the ground situation with the first phase of disengagement remaining incomplete.
These issues, in addition to further disengagement, would be taken up during the talks.
“The talks will most lik