CHINA-INDIA: COINCIDING WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER WANG YI'S VISIT TO INDIA CHINA SUGGESTS INDIAN FORCES WITHDRAW FROM PP15 AND PP16 TO KARAM SINGH POST
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The Indian Express (April 10) reported that around the time Chinese Foreign Minister Wang
Yi visited India last month, Beijing sent Delhi a proposal on disengagement of troops from Patrolling Point 15 in the Hot Springs area of eastern Ladakh. The proposal was rejected by
India. It said Government sources said China proposed that Indian troops, who have been in an
eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Chinese troops at PP 15 for almost two years now, move
back to the Karam Singh Post between PP 16 and PP 17 and in return the Chinese would move
their troops to just behind the LAC. It quoted sources saying this was unacceptable because
China's claim line and India's understanding of the LAC intersect at PP15. It would also mean
that Indian troops move back several kilometres while Chinese troops move back very little.
One officer said, "While they will move back to just behind PP 15, they are asking us to
relinquish even PP 16 which has never been claimed by the Chinese". They added that PP 15
has come into contention only now and never in the past.
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