The ongoing India-China border dispute in eastern Ladakh seems to be resolved. China has said that it has withdrawn its army from four places in eastern Ladakh. According to a press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks on Thursday in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the sidelines of the meeting of high-level officials responsible for security matters in BRICS member countries. During this, both sides discussed the progress made in recent discussions on border issues.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a press briefing on Friday that the two armies have withdrawn from four areas and the situation along the border is stable. In recent years, the front-line troops of the two countries have completed the withdrawal from four points in the western sector of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley. The situation along the China-India border is generally stable and under control.
The Foreign Minister said in Geneva yesterday that the border dispute with China is 75 percent resolved
This comment by the Chinese Foreign Ministry comes a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s statement in Geneva. Jaishankar had said that about 75 percent of the ‘problems related to the withdrawal of troops’ with China have been resolved, but the bigger issue is the increasing militarization on the border.
Doval and Wang are special representatives for the India-China border dialogue mechanism
Giving details about the meeting between Doval and Wang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that both sides expressed the belief that the stability of China-India relations is in the fundamental and long-term interests of the people of both countries and is conducive to regional peace and development. He said that China and India agreed to implement the consensus reached between the heads of government of the two countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, maintain continuous dialogue and create an environment for promoting bilateral relations.
Foreign Ministry said- our stand is clear, LAC should be respected
A press release issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that India and China on Thursday agreed to work with “urgency” and redouble their efforts to achieve the goal of complete disengagement of troops from the remaining points of conflict in eastern Ladakh. In the meeting, Doval told Wang that peace and stability in the border areas and respect for the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are essential for the return of normalcy in bilateral relations, the release said.
The standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies has been continuing since May 2020 and the border dispute has not been fully resolved yet. However, both sides have withdrawn their troops from several points of conflict. Relations between the two countries deteriorated after the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. It was the most serious military conflict between the two sides after decades. India’s clear stand is that its relations with China cannot be normal until there is peace in the border areas. So far, 21 rounds of Corps Commander level talks have taken place between the two sides to resolve the deadlock.
