Diplomats from India and China held another round of meetings on Friday to discuss border affairs and the disengagement of troops along the de facto border known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), seeking to fully restore peace and tranquillity after a violent standoff between the troops in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Friday that both sides had agreed to implement the understandings reached between Senior Commanders.
“The two sides recalled the agreement reached between their respective foreign ministers on 17th June 2020 as well as the agreement between two Special Representatives (SRs) during their telephone conversation on 5 July 2020, and reaffirmed that both sides will ensure complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control,” said a statement by India’s External Affairs Ministry.
The Chinese, on the other hand, said Beijing and New Delhi had “agreed to continue to maintain dialogue and consultations on the military and diplomatic channels, promote a further cooling of the situation on the ground, and strengthen confidence-building measures in the border areas, promptly and properly handling border issues, to prevent differences from leading to disputes.”
According to informed sources, the Chinese Army has disengaged from Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and Gogra; the military commanders will meet next week for discussions regarding the Finger Area and Depsang plains.
The Indian delegation was headed by a Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the External Affairs Ministry, while the Director General of Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Foreign Ministry led the Chinese delegation.
The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488 km-long LAC from Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast to Ladakh. While the LAC is mainly a land border in most regions, in Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh, it passes through a lake.
India controls the western portion of the 45-km long lake, while the rest is under Chinese control. Most of the clashes between the two countries have taken place in the Galwan Valley.
