Chinese and Indian military commanders have withdrawn several troops from the western Himalayas to reduce tensions and boost confidence following successful talks on the disputed border.
According to Reuters, officials in New Delhi, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said China and India had made progress in the talks.
It may be recalled that the forces of the two countries have been facing each other on the Ladakh border since April.
China has objected to recent construction by India, saying the area falls within its borders.
The two countries’ forces had stepped up patrols and tensions on both sides had injured several soldiers.
A week after tensions erupted, Indian officials said the situation was being normalized as a result of the talks.
An official in New Delhi said the two forces had reduced their numbers but that large quantities of troops, tanks and other weapons were still on the border.
“The situation has improved to some extent and there will be more talks in the next few days to resolve the issues, which could take weeks,” he said.
Another Indian official said that the Chinese army has returned to a few places and the vehicles have also returned, but there is still a large number of troops.
China’s state-run newspaper Global Times quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chenying as saying that the two countries were liaising at the diplomatic and military levels on the border issue and had reached a positive consensus.
Late last month, India rejected the US president’s offer to mediate a border dispute with China, saying it was seeking a “solution” to the issue with Beijing.
The offer of mediation by US President Donald Trump came after Indian defense sources said that hundreds of Chinese troops had entered the disputed zone along the 3,500-kilometer border.
According to media reports, the two countries’ forces had set up camp in the Galvan Valley of Ladakh and accused each other of crossing the disputed border.
In a briefing in New Delhi, Indian officials had said that about 80 to 100 tents have been set up by China while 60 tents have also been set up by India.
On the other hand, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that “China is committed to maintaining peace and stability in its and India’s border areas, including the protection of its territorial sovereignty.”
However, the Indian military said in a statement that Chinese troops had stopped India’s routine patrol along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Later, statements from retired Indian military officers and diplomats made it clear that the real cause of the border dispute was India’s construction of roads and runways.
Keep in mind that India and China share a border with the Himalayas and there is a long-running border dispute between the two countries, with both blaming each other.
China claims 90,000 sq km in India’s northeastern region, while India says China has occupied 38,000 sq km in the western Himalayas, and the two countries have held dozens of meetings over the border dispute. Have done but no solution could be found.
