India-China standoff: Both sides continue engagement to sort out issues

New Delhi, June 12: Peace on border with China is essential for ties to grow, India as said as the stand-off continues.

While talks continue between both sides, China is yet to withdraw its soldiers, who had transgressed the disputed boundary on the bank of the Pangong Tso lake. New Delhi has said that peace is essential for further developments of the Indo-China bilateral relations.

Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava said that the June 6 meeting between the senior military officers of both sides agreed to an early resolution of the dispute. He also referred to the guidance that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to issue to the militaries of both sides, when the first informal summit was held in Wuhan, China.

India and China are continuing military and diplomatic engagements to peacefully resolve the situation at the earliest. Both sides want to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas. This is essential for further development of the India-China bilateral relations, the MEA spokesperson also said.

However, in a positive development the situation along the Line of Control has calmed down considerably, with both India and China engaging in dialogue.

The cool down began following the Lt. General level talks that were held on Saturday. Following this, the Brigadier and Major General level talks were held, which in turn helped calm tempers further.

There has been very little or no activity along the LAC. Sources tell OneIndia that following the disengagement of troops, there has been very less activity by the PLA Air Force. There has also been very little patrolling by the Chinese vehicles at Galwan Nullah.

The troops too have reduced at the Pangong Tso sector, which is a welcome sign.

The source cited above also said that the process is an ongoing one. The talks will continue, before a complete resolution is found. What we are witnessing are encouraging signs and for the entire issue to be sorted out, talks will have to continue for some more time, the officer also noted.

Meanwhile, China on Wednesday said that troops of both sides have started implementing the "positive consensus" reached by the senior military officials of the two countries on June 6 aimed at "easing" the situation along the borders.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson's remarks came after officials in New Delhi suggested that armies of India and China have undertaken a "limited disengagement" in few areas in eastern Ladakh in a demonstration of their intent to end the border standoff peacefully ahead of another round of military talks on Wednesday.

Asked about the reports of the troops on both sides disengaging and moving back to their previous positions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that both sides are taking steps to ease the situation along the borders.

"Recently the diplomatic and military channels of China and India held effective communication on the situation along the border and reached positive consensus," she said.

"The two sides are following this consensus to take actions to ease the situation along the borders," the spokesperson said.

Military sources in New Delhi said the two armies have begun "disengagement" around patrolling points 14 and 15 in Galwan Valley and another in the Hot Spring area, adding the Chinese side has even moved back up to 1.5 km in two areas.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged since May 5 following a violent clash in Pangong Tso.

The trigger for the face-off was China's stiff opposition to India laying a key road in the Finger area around the Pangong Tso Lake besides construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley.

During their military-level talks on June 6, India and China agreed to follow the broad decisions taken by their leaders in the Wuhan summit in 2018 to ensure peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control.