China and India said Tuesday (Oct. 13) that their military commanders had “positive and constructive” discussions on how to disengage their forces on the disputed Himalayan border, which has been at an impasse for months.
In a joint statement, China and India said: “The two sides had a frank, in-depth and constructive exchange of views on the disengagement of the western sector of the Line of Actual Control along the India-China border.”
The seventh round of military commander-level talks between China and India was held Monday in Chushul, on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The talks lasted more than 10 hours. Representatives of the foreign ministries of the two countries also attended the talks.
Diplomats and military officials from both countries have held several rounds of talks in an effort to pull back from the brink of conflict after clashes between their border guards erupted in June, killing 20 Indian soldiers.
A joint statement from both sides said they considered the discussions “positive and constructive” and that they had improved mutual understanding of each other’s positions.
In April, New Delhi said that Chinese border guards had intruded on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh region, which borders the Tibetan plateau. Beijing claimed that the area was Chinese territory and accused India of destabilizing the situation by building roads in the area.
Although military commanders from both sides have held seven rounds of talks since the armed clashes in mid-June, there is still no sign of withdrawal.
In a joint statement, the two sides said: “The two sides agreed to continue to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the disengagement as soon as possible.”
Indian media quoted unnamed sources as saying that during the talks, the Indian side has been adamant that Chinese forces disengage from the Indian side at the earliest and completely from all points of friction in eastern Ladakh.
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