India-China standoff: Will maintain bilateral military dialogue and promote further cooling at the border: China on WMCC talks with India
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China said that the two sides 'fully affirmed the positive progress made by the frontline border defence forces to disengage from contact and ease the situation on the ground' as India and China sought to disengage along the LAC after the Galwan Valley clash.
As Indian and Chinese officials met to discuss the border issues under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination(WMCC), China said that the two sides "fully affirmed the positive progress made by the frontline border defence forces to disengage from contact and ease the situation on the ground."
It was the seventeenth meeting on border affairs between the two sides.
China emphasised that it "will maintain bilateral military and diplomatic dialogues" in accordance with the important consensus reached by the "two foreign ministers and special representatives on border issues."
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The Chinese statement comes amid reports of the People's Liberation Army(PLA) not pulling out of the Line of Control(LAC) as it was reportedly halted its movement, China, however, insisted that border issues on the ground will be properly handled and "promote further cooling of the border situation."
The statement added that the two sides will continue to hold meetings on border affairs and "strengthen the building of confidence" in border areas and "jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas."
The minister of external affairs spokesperson, Anurag Shrivastava had earlier said that "respecting and strictly abiding by the LAC is the basis of peace and tranquillity in the border areas."
"Conduct of Chinese forces this year, including the deployment of large body of troops and changes in behaviour, accompanied by unjustified and untenable claims, has been in complete disregard of all the mutual agreements," he added.
India and China decided to disengage after the clash at Galwan Valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian soldiers had died, although the Chinese side had also suffered casualties as reported by state-run Global Times but the Chinese foreign ministry has refused to divulge details.