Staff Reports
India and China have decided to remove their troops from a sensitive border sector, the Indian foreign ministry stated Thursday.
India's foreign ministry said the withdrawal began on September 8 and will end on September 12. The arrangement attempts to avert further escalation of tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, Reuters reports.
According to a foreign ministry spokeswoman, "both sides decided to carry the talks further and resolve the remaining concerns along LAC" Bagchi was referring to Ladakh's Line of Actual Control.
After 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers died in clashes in 2020, the dispute was ended in a standoff at the 2,360-mile border. After combat, India moved 50,000 men to the hills.
Bagchi said the two sides will now withdraw their personnel in a "phased, coordinated, and verified manner" and ensure reciprocal LAC observation. They'll also remove temporary buildings.
The Indian side claims it "pre-empted" Chinese military activity. India's statements reveal the fact that the Indian troops were the first to have illegally crossed the #LAC , changed the status quo in the border areas, and violated bilateral agreements and important consensus. pic.twitter.com/4AYenAxwae
— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) September 2, 2020
An Indian defense source told Reuters Thursday that "eyeball to eyeball contact has ended" "This is the first step to a calmer LAC," said the person.
“This is the outcome of multiple rounds of talks over a period of time between the two sides’ diplomatic and military establishments at various levels. It is conducive to peace and tranquility in the border areas,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday.
Bachi said the two sides' military leaders have been in continual contact since July to "resolve the pertinent concerns" of the LAC conflict. Reuters reports that some forces remain in Demchok despite the agreement's details.
China's retreat from India's border is a "positive development," according to Ning.
Chinese and Indian forces cooperated with Russian troops at Vostock on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Uzbekistan next week for his first abroad trip since the COVID-19 outbreak, according to CNBC and Reuters. India's Narendra Modi is also expected to attend. Economic Times reports Xi and Modi may meet outside the SCO meetings on September 16 and 17.
China and India's foreign ministries didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on DAILY CALLER.
