India, China agree on disengagement

Foreign ministry officials of India and China met through video-conference on Friday and “reviewed” the situation on the SinoIndian border including the “progress made in the ongoing disengagement process” of troops of both sides along the Line of Actual Control. This was the 16th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on IndiaChina Border Affairs in which it was “reaffirmed that both sides will ensure complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity”. It was also re-affirmed that at the military level, the senior commanders of both armies would “meet soon to discuss further steps so as to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation in a timely manner”. It was also decided that another WMCC meeting would be held soon.

The Indian delegation was led by joint secretary (East Asia) from the ministry of external affairs, while the director general of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs led the Chinese delegation.

In a statement, the MEA said, “The two sides recalled the agreement reached between the two foreign ministers on 17th June 2020 as well as the agreement between two special representatives (national security advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi) during their telephonic conversation on 5 July 2020, and reaffirmed that both sides will ensure complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace.”