China says troops disengaged from 4 places including Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh
Relations between the two countries, which fought a border war in 1962, have been almost frozen for four years due to a military standoff in eastern Ladakh
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval (front, 3rd right) with others during the BRICS NSAs meeting, in St. Petersburg, Russia. PTI
Chinese troops have withdrawn from four places in restive eastern Ladakh bordering India, Beijing has said, adding that the two countries have agreed to improve bilateral relations.
The Chinese foreign ministry said Chinese troops have disengaged at four places in eastern Ladakh including Galwan Valley, where the troops from both countries clashed violently in 2020.
The border situation was generally stable and under control, ministry spokesman Mao Ning said in Beijing.
Talks in Russia
Mao said India and China had agreed at their meeting in Russia to work together to create conditions for improved bilateral ties.
On September 12, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi met Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in St. Petersburg. Doval and Wang are the Special Representatives for the India-China border talks mechanism.
They discussed progress during talks on border issues and agreed to deliver on the common understandings reached by leaders of the two countries, Mao said.
Galwan Valley
Relations between the two countries, which fought a bitter border war in 1962, have been almost frozen for more than four years due to a military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Asked about this, Mao said: “In recent years, front-line 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.”
Jaishankar on Sino-India ties
The comments come a day after Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar said roughly 75 per cent of the “disengagement problems” with China were sorted out but the bigger issue was the increasing militarisation of the frontier.
He also told a think-tank in Geneva that one cannot have violence at the border and then say the rest of the relationship is insulated from it.
India said after the Doval-Wang talks that the discussions would hopefully lead to early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control which divides India and China.