On April 23, India and China held the 18th round of Corps Commander talks in eastern Ladakh, just ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting in India. The talks were focused on disengagement from Demchok and Depsang Plains, as the stand-off between the two countries has been ongoing since May 2020.
The Indian side was led by Lieutenant General Rashim Bali, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier stated that peaceful talks for resolving the stand-off will continue. While disengagement has been undertaken from some friction points, over 50,000 troops and heavy equipment remain deployed on both sides close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India has consistently called for restoration of status quo ante along the LAC for normalisation of the relationship between the two countries.