India, China discuss mutual withdrawal from ‘Patrol point 15’

The military commanders of India and China discussed a proposal for a mutual withdrawal of troops from “Patrol point 15” – one of the face-off points on the Line of Actual (LAC) – during the latest round of negotiations between them last Sunday.

Though no immediate breakthrough was announced by New Delhi and Beijing after the 16th round of negotiations to resolve the two-year-long stand-off along the LAC, sources said that the two sides did exchange views on a proposal for disengagement from Patrol Point 15.

"The two sides agreed to try to narrow down differences on the modalities of implementing the proposal to make it acceptable to both sides," added the source.

If the proposal is accepted by both sides, the mutual withdrawal of troops by the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is likely to result in creation of a buffer zone with moratorium on patrolling, just like the earlier disengagement in Galwan Valley, both banks of Pangong Tso and Gogra Post, sources said.