A breakthrough eluded the 15th round of India-China talks, with the Chinese continuing to resist Delhi’s demand for disengagement and de-escalation from Indian territories in eastern Ladakh, defence ministry sources said.

An India-China joint statement, released by India’s defence ministry on Saturday after Friday’s 14-hour talks, said the two sides had “agreed to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the western sector in the interim”.

They had “agreed to maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest”.

Military veteran Sushant Singh said the big negative from the latest round of talks was the lack of “progress on disengagement — leave alone de-escalation or de-induction — from the Indian territories in Ladakh transgressed by China”.

“Status quo ante is far off,” he said.

The statement was silent on the status quo along the Line of Actual Control being restored to the position before the Chinese incursions began in May 2020.

Indian military veterans have long been suggesting that the Chinese are working to establish a “revised status quo” that would allow them to hold on to their newly acquired positions on India-claimed territories.

The two sides “had a detailed exchange of views in this regard, in keeping with the guidance provided by the State leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest”, the joint statement said.

“They reaffirmed that such a resolution would help restore peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the western sector and facilitate progress in bilateral relations.”