China and India have agreed to continue dialogue to reach a solution acceptable to both sides, including being able to reach some consensus on reducing differences and disengagement of troops from the friction points, to end the deadlock in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese Defence Ministry said on Thursday. Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said that China and India have maintained contact with each other through diplomatic and military channels. This includes consultations between the foreign ministers of the two countries and the Foreign Minister of China and the National Security Advisor of India and through the border consultation mechanism.
Zhang told reporters that through the talks, both China and India were able to narrow their differences and reach some consensus besides agreeing to strengthen dialogue to accommodate each other’s legitimate concerns. “The two sides agreed to reach a solution at an early date that is acceptable to both sides,” he said. He was responding to a question on talks between the two countries on disengagement of troops from the remaining confrontation points, particularly Demchok and Depsang, to end the over four-year-long military standoff in eastern Ladakh. The standoff had resulted in a freeze in ties between the two countries.
Zhang referred to the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as well as the recent meeting between Wang and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting in Russia. Commenting on the talks between Wang and Doval, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on September 3, “The frontline troops of the two countries have withdrawn from four areas in the western part of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley.”
Responding to a question, Zhang did not comment on the progress of the withdrawal of troops from the remaining areas, including Depsang and Demchok, but said both sides will continue to consolidate the results. “We will continue to consolidate the results we have reached and respect bilateral agreements and mutual trust-building measures to maintain peace and tranquility along the border,” he said.
His comments on bilateral agreements came after Jaishankar, addressing an event organised by the Asia Society and Asia Society Policy Institute in New York on Tuesday, said the two countries have a series of agreements that call for discussing in greater detail how to maintain peace and tranquility along the border. “The problem was in 2020, despite these very clear agreements, we saw China – we were all in the midst of Covid at the time – move troops in large numbers to the Line of Actual Control in violation of these agreements. And we responded in kind,” he said.
Meanwhile, Li Jinsong, Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat here. The Chinese Foreign Ministry informed about this meeting without giving any details.