India, China hold flag meeting in disputed Kashmir over detentions

India and China held a flag meeting in eastern Ladakh region of disputed Kashmir to discuss the fate of five Indian nationals who were recently arrested by the People's Liberation Army, (PLA) official sources said Saturday. The Indian side raised grave concern with their Chinese counterparts over detention of its nationals by the Chinese PLA in chumar area of eastern ladakh region, the sources said, adding, the Chinese reaction over the issues was not known immediately. Apart from that, the sources said, the two sides also discussed the various border issues and sought to address them through the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement pact. The two countries recently signed the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement in Beijing where both sides have sought to resolve their issues through the new pact which aims to prevent flare-ups between the troops of respective countries. The flag meeting has come after a recent incident where PLA troops had apprehended five Indian nationals in the Chumar area and took them to their camp across the Line of Actual Control in an apparent bid to stake their claim on the area, Indian media reported. India authorities have often expressed concerns that Chinese army was trespassing into their borders mainly in the Indian administered Kashmirs Ladakh region. Due to mounting tensions on the eastern borders, in July this year the Indian government approved the formation of Mountain Strike Corps comprising of 40,000 soldiers who would be posted along the Chinese border to counter its (chinas) influence.