Disengaged at four places in Eastern Ladakh, situation stable, says China

When asked whether the two countries are close to a breakthrough to revive the bilateral ties frozen for over four years due to the military standoff in Eastern Ladakh, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing Friday that the two militaries realised disengagement in four areas and the situation along the border is stable.

“In recent years, frontline armies of the two countries have realised disengagement in four areas in the Western sector of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley. The China-India border situation is generally stable and under control,” Ning said.

About the Doval-Wang meeting, the Chinese Foreign ministry said both parties expressed the belief that the stability of the China-India relations is in the fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries and conducive to regional peace and development.

China and India agreed to implement the consensus reached by the heads of the two countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, maintain continuous communication, and create conditions for boosting bilateral ties, it said. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that facing a turbulent world, China and India as two ancient eastern civilisations and emerging developing countries should adhere to independence, choose unity and cooperation, and avoid consuming each other, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

During their Thursday meeting, both Wang and Doval discussed progress made in recent consultation on border issues and agreed to deliver on the common understandings reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, create conditions for improving bilateral ties and maintain communication to this end, Mao said.

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said the meeting gave the two sides an opportunity to “review the recent efforts towards finding an early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC, which will create conditions to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations”.

“Both sides agreed to work with urgency and redouble their efforts to realise complete disengagement in the remaining areas. The NSA conveyed that peace and tranquillity in border areas and respect for LAC are essential for normalcy in bilateral relations,” the MEA said.

The BRICS leaders’ summit is scheduled to take place from October 22 to 24 in Kazan, Russia, which is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, among other leaders.

The MEA said the “two sides agreed that the India-China bilateral relationship is significant not just for the two countries but also for the region and the world.”