After Jaishankar’s '75% Sorted' Remark, China Confirms Military Disengagement In 4 Places

China announced on Friday that the two militaries have disengaged at four locations in Eastern Ladakh, including the Galwan Valley, and that the border situation is now stable.

Following talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the BRICS high-level security officials' meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that India and China have agreed to work together on creating conditions to improve bilateral relations. The discussions centred on progress made during recent consultations on border issues.

When asked whether the two countries were close to breaking the four-year impasse in bilateral ties caused by the military standoff in Eastern Ladakh, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said disengagement had occurred in four areas and the border situation was under control.

"In recent years, the front-line troops of both countries have disengaged at four locations in the Western sector of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley. The situation is generally stable," Mao said.

This statement came a day after India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar noted in Geneva that about 75 per cent of the disengagement issues with China had been resolved but expressed concern over increasing militarization along the border.

Doval and Wang, as Special Representatives for the India-China border talks, emphasized the importance of stabilizing bilateral relations for long-term regional peace and development. Both sides committed to implementing the agreements reached by their leaders, building mutual trust, maintaining regular communication, and improving relations.

Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, highlighted that in a volatile global environment, China and India-both ancient civilizations and emerging global powers-should focus on independence, unity, and cooperation, rather than conflict. He stressed that managing differences pragmatically and restoring stable, healthy, and sustainable relations is essential.

During their meeting, Doval and Wang reviewed the progress in recent border consultations and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the common understandings reached by their leaders, fostering trust, and maintaining dialogue to enhance bilateral ties.

While the Indian and Chinese militaries have made progress in disengaging from several friction points since the standoff began in May 2020, a complete resolution of the border dispute remains elusive. Relations between the two countries sharply declined after the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, marking the most serious military confrontation between them in decades.