Chinese troops still present in Chumar despite Beijing's assurance

According to media sources, the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops are still clinging on to Chumar and Demchok sectors in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The development comes after a day when Chinese premier Xi Jinping assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the border dispute will be settled at the earliest and ordered the troops to fall back.

But, it is learnt that the major chunk of the troops who crossed the LAC and incurred in the Indian soil remained firm in their place although some of them moved back.

The face-off between two neighbouring countries started last Wednesday when bout 1,000 armed Chinese troops crossed about five km into Indian territory in Ladakh's Chumur sector.

Being dubbed as the worst incursion by Chinese troops, the transgression took place at a time when neighbouring nation’s President Xi Jinping visited India, the first by a Chinese head of state in eight years.

Media reported, the Chinese Army allegedly brought in heavy construction equipment and a large labour force to set up a road up to the border.

India also rushed reinforcements to Chumur sector after learning the news of third such intrusion by armed Chinese troops in a little over a week.

To combat the worst such incursion in years, India had also sent 1,500 soldiers, leading to an unprecedented face-off at the border.

Despite repeated flag-meetings all effort went in vain. It has been learnt that, the two troops are standing from ear other at a distance ranging from 200-800 meters at different points.

Soldiers from both the sides were locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation at the border.

Another standoff is also ongoing, in which Chinese nomads have moved about 500 meters into Indian territory in the Demchok area some 60 kilometers east of Chumar, backed up by the PLA.

India and China have so far held 17 rounds of talks since 2003 to resolve the dragging dispute.

According to India, the dispute covers about 4,000-odd km of the frontier which comprises the LAC.

India and China on Friday said they were "committed to a reasonable and mutually acceptable solution" to their border dispute after Modi took up the issue with his Chinese counterpart on two consecutive days during Jinping’s  three-day India tour.

In the one-on-one meeting on Thursday in New Delhi, which lasted for 90 minutes, Modi is learnt to have raises the issue of Chinese incursion. In the joint press conference that followed the meeting, Modi spoke of India’s displeasure regaring Chinese troops’ crossing the LAC.

He has said Peace and stability in our relations and along borders essential and that the border issue must be resolved quickly.

But till now, it seems that China is not paying attention to it.