India-China border dispute: stray PLA soldier should be returned in ‘timely manner’
- Corporal was helping a herdsman find a yak when he strayed into Indian-controlled area in Himalayan border region
- Indian Army says it provided medical help and will return the man once formalities completed
Zhang Shuili, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army’s Western Theatre Command, said on Monday night that one soldier went missing on Sunday night while helping find a yak at the request of a herdsman. The Chinese border troops notified the Indian side immediately to request help, he said.
“The Indian side agreed to support [this] and committed to hand the soldier back to the Chinese side in a timely manner after finding him. India later notified China that they found one missing Chinese soldier and would hand him over to China after conducting medical checks,” Zhang said.
“We hope the Indian side honours its commitment, loses no time in returning the person to China, and works with China to jointly implement the consensus reached in the seventh round of commander-level talks with China, and jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the border areas,” he said.
The statement came hours after the Indian Army said it had apprehended Corporal Wang Ya Long in the Indian-controlled Demchok area of eastern Ladakh. The soldier was provided with medical help and would be released soon after completing formalities, the Indian side said.
In early September, five Indian citizens from Arunachal Pradesh were apprehended and subsequently released by Chinese authorities after they inadvertently crossed to the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border.