India-China | Agreement on immediate de-escalation of border intensity

Defence Redefined

11/09/2020

The Foreign Ministers of India and China have agreed that the two countries’ troops must immediately disengage from the stalemate caused by escalating tensions on their borders, they said in a joint statement issued today.

Indian Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, met in Moscow yesterday on the sidelines of a conference to end a months-long dispute in an undefined part of their border.

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This has been the most serious episode in recent decades.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a “joint statement”, which listed five points of concurrence reached by the two foreign ministers after a “frank and constructive” discussion that lasted two and half hours.

These five points are:

1. The two ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes.

2. The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions.

3. The two ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters.

4. The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs should also continue its meetings.

5. The ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence-building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

With information from: CNA, thewire.in

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