China, India Agree to Cool Down Tensions Along Disputed Border
A weeks-long India-China standoff in Eastern Ladakh recently boiled over into the worst military clash between them in 45 years.
(Bloomberg) -- China and India have agreed to deescalate tensions on their disputed Himalayan border, after a weeks-long standoff boiled over into the worst military clash between the two nations in 45 years.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing Tuesday in Beijing that a commander-level meeting on Monday had agreed to “take necessary measures to cool down” the situation and resolve the issue through diplomatic and military channels.
“The two sides agreed to continue with dialog and jointly work for the peace and tranquility of the border areas,” Zhao said.
Indian government officials confirmed the eased tensions, describing the talks as cordial and positive and noting there was a mutual consensus to disengage from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh. Indian stocks climbed, taking the benchmark index to its highest level in more than three months.
The June 15 clashes in the Galwan valley killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops. Ten more Indian troops were taken into Chinese military custody, where they were held for several days before being released after high-level talks.
The announcement came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday hosted a virtual trilateral meeting with China’s Wang Yi and India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar after Moscow emerged as a key player in thawing relations between the two neighbors.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.