Beijing reports orderly progress in India-China troop disengagement

The Chinese military on Thursday said troops of India and China are "making progress" in implementing the recent agreement to disengage from the friction points in the eastern Ladakh border but declined to comment on reports that the disengagement has been completed.

Commenting for the first time after the October 21 agreement to disengage the troops, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, told a media briefing that "China and India have reached resolutions on the issues concerning the border areas through diplomatic and military channels".

"The frontline troops of the two militaries are making progress in implementing resolutions in an orderly manner," he said, reiterating the foreign ministry's comments on Wednesday.

He, however, declined to comment on the reports that the Indian and Chinese troops have completed disengagement at two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh and patrolling is set to commence soon at these points.

"On this question, I have no more information to offer," Col Zhang said.

On the bilateral agreement to disengage the troops, Col Zhang said President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the margins of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia last week.

"Both sides have agreed that China and India should view and handle the bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective and make sure that the differences on specific issues will not affect the overall relationship," he said.

"We hope the Indian side will work together with China to take important common understandings between the two leaders as guidance and continuously implement the above-mentioned resolutions and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility along the border areas," he said.

Indian Army sources said on Wednesday that the troops of both countries have completed disengagement at two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh and patrolling is set to commence soon at these points.

The verification process post-disengagement is in progress and patrolling modalities are to be decided between ground commanders, an Indian Army source said.

"Talks will continue at the local commander level," the Army source added.

The process follows the agreement between the two countries on patrolling and disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, a major breakthrough to end the over four-year standoff, bringing a fresh thaw in their frosty ties.

The move marks a significant development in the pursuit of reduced tension along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

The ties between the two Asian giants had nosedived following the clash.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on October 21 said in Delhi that the agreement was finalised following negotiations over the past several weeks and that it would lead to a resolution of the issues that arose in 2020.

Subsequently, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the agreement on October 22, saying that the two sides have reached resolutions on relevant matters, which China speaks highly of. Going forward, China will work with India to implement these resolutions.