India-China standoff: We expect China to ensure restoration of peace and tranquillity , says MEA

New Delhi, July 03: India has called for an expeditious and phased de-escalation of the ongoing standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India has said that it expects the Chinese side to "sincerely" ensure the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the disputed frontier.

Speaking to a media organisation, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that speedy de-escalation will be in keeping with an agreement between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi that the overall situation "would be handled in a responsible manner".

The EAM spokesperson also noted that the two sides have been holding discussions through established diplomatic and military channels to address the situation along LAC. This also included three meetings between the corps commanders of the two sides have been held on June 2, 22, and 30 and a meeting of the working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) on June 24.

"The corps commanders meeting that was held at Chushul on June 30 was the third engagement between senior military commanders to discuss issues related to disengagement at face-off sites along LAC and de-escalation in border areas," he said.

He further said that the discussions during the latest meeting of the corps commanders "reflected the commitment of both sides to reduce the tensions along LAC".

In a response to a question on India's June 29 decision to ban 59, that are mostly Chinese, Srivastava pointed out that India has one of the world's most open regimes for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and that the government has put in place a host of measures for creating a more investor-friendly regime.