Ministry of External Affairs summons Chinese ambassador Le Yucheng

NEW DELHI: As the Army stand-off in Ladakh’s Chumar region entered the 14th day, Chinese ambassador Le Yucheng met senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs which was described by South Block as a meeting to discuss “other issues”.

MEA sources denied that the ambassador was summoned or given demarche over China’s intransigence to withdraw troops from Indian territory. South Block officials did not specify which what issues were discussed with the new Chinese envoy.

Today’s meeting comes even as India said it has raised a couple of times the issue of continued standoff in Demchok and Chumar region with China — both here and in Beijing — in last one week.

“Since our two leaders met and discussed issues relating to recent events on the border, there have been several follow-up issues that were taken up by engagement at different levels in different places by India and China. In essence, I can tell you diplomacy is at work, it is quietly at work,” MEA spokesperson Syed Akaruddin has said.

Le’s meeting comes a day after the Indian Army said that Chinese Army had sought a flag meeting.

The two flag meetings in the last fortnight had made no progress in resolving the crisis. It is not yet known whether joint secretary-level mechanism between the two sides will be activated or not. Tension in the area erupted when Chinese workers, who were constructing a road on their side, crossed into the Indian side and claimed that they had orders to build a road up to Tible, inside Indian territory.