Ladakh standoff: China to pull back its troops to Finger 8
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Society
- Published
12th Nov, 2020
-
Context
- China has proposed moving its troops back to Finger 8 and return of troops by the two sides to their original locations on the south bank of the lake.
- According to India, the LAC passes through Finger 8 on the north bank of PangongTso. In May, Chinese troops came 8 km west, up to Finger 4.
- Indian troops had positioned themselves on Gurung Hill, Magar Hill, Mukhpari, Rechin La and Rezang La.
PangongTso Lake and its location
- PangongTso is an endorheic lake (landlocked).
- It is partly in India’s Ladakh region and partly in Tibet.
- The Karakoram Mountain range ends at the north bank of PangongTso.
- Nearly two-thirds of the lake is controlled by China, with just about 45 km under Indian control.
- The LAC, running north-south, cuts the western part of the lake, aligned east-west.
What is the Bone of contention between two?
- India and China have unsettled borders, and the perception of the LAC differs in multiple sectors, including on PangongTso.
- India claims that the LAC is coterminous with Finger 8, but it physically controls area only up to Finger 4.
- Chinese border posts are at Finger 8, while it believes that the LAC passes through Finger 2.