Nathu La. August 15: The Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has jointly celebrated India’s Independence Day at Nathu La, Sikkim. The two armies held special border personnel in the sector to boost mutual trust and promote peace. The meeting was part of a "joint" celebration to commemorate the 72nd Independence Day of India. The PLA delegation, comprising several officers and soldiers, attended the celebration.

The meeting aimed at enhancing the atmosphere of peace at the border between the two armies. The Defence Ministry in its statement said, "The celebration took place in an atmosphere of warmth and friendship, with an aim of enhancing mutual trust and promoting border peace and tranquillity." A similar type of meeting was also held on August 1, to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the foundation of PLA on August 1.

Both sides also presented programmes portraying the cultural diversity of the two countries on the occasion. Nathu La is situated at 4,310 metres above sea level. It is a mountain pass in the Himalayas in East Sikkim district connecting the Indian state of Sikkim with Tibet. The two meeting between the two rival countries were held within two weeks. These meetings are believed to be the result of an informal summit in Wuhan in China between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Last Year, both the armies were also locked in a 73-day standoff in Bhutan’s Doklam Plateau. The Indian Army stalled the construction of the road by the Chinese troops in the area. Doklam Plateau is the strategic location from where Chinese troops could have kept a watch on India’s narrow corridor connecting Indian mainland to the North Eastern states, also popularly known as ‘Chicken’s Neck’.

According to recent reports, Soldiers of PLA have intruded around 300-400 metres inside the Demchok sector of eastern Ladakh. However, the Indian security forces said they convinced Chinese forces to remove some of their tents pitched in Demchok and efforts were on for complete removal. India and China had also fought a war in 1962 over the border dispute.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 15, 2018 04:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).