India-China border dispute live updates: Indian Army occupies heights overlooking the Chinese Army positions at Finger 4 along Pangong Tso lake

As foreign minister S Jaishankar prepares to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow, the clashes on the LAC on Monday where Indian troops held their positions on the heights on the south bank of Pangong Tso have given India some solid bargaining chips in the difficult negotiations to defuse the standoff. Though the clashes lend credence to India’s stand that “deep conversations” are necessary to resolve the situation and the discussions may not deliver immediate results, changes on the ground, where Indian troops have surprised PLA in actions that played out over the August 29-30 week end, have subtly altered the dynamics ahead of the meeting.

After the latest flare-up in the Pangong southern bank area, India Tuesday lodged a strong protest with China, both through diplomatic and military channels, asking Beijing to rein in Chinese troops who had carried out "provocative activities" yet again on Monday night. In its protest, India strongly denied that any Indian soldier fired "warning shots" or crossed the LAC as alleged by China. The government said that while it remained committed to talks for disengagement and de-escalation along the border, it will do all it can to protect India's sovereignty. It also said that the PLA had on Monday, by seeking to intimidate Indian troops by firing in air, violated all agreements and understandings reached in the military and diplomatic meetings.