Peaceful border essential for normalisation of India-China ties: Modi to Xi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to Chinese President Xi Jinping India's concerns on the "unresolved" issues along Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh during a conversation on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Thursday.

The prime minister underlined that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for normalisation of India-China relations, he said at a media briefing.

In this regard, the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and deescalation, the foreign secretary added.

Kwatra said Modi had conversations with BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the summit of the grouping in Johannesburg.

The ties between India and China came under severe strain following the eastern Ladakh border standoff that began in May, 2020.

The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in the standoff in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

India and China held the 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks on August 13 and 14 with a focus on resolving pending issues at the standoff areas of Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh.

A joint statement described the talks as "positive, constructive and in-depth" and that both sides agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner.

Days after the fresh round of high-level talks, the local commanders of the two militaries held a series of negotiations in two separate locations to resolve issues in Depsang Plains and Demchok.