India, China Agree to Protect Existing Border Agreements, Avoid Escalation of Tensions
Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met in Moscow on Thursday on the margins of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and discussed relations between India and China.
Indian and Chinese Foreign Ministers released a joint statement on Thursday, agreeing that both sides will abide to existing accords and protocol on China-India boundary affairs in order to "maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas".
The statement comes after India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and China's Wang Yi "had a frank and constructive discussion on the developments in the India-China border areas" during Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.
"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… 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", the joint statement said.
It also outlined that the ministers agreed to expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures as the situation eases.
The consensus followed an escalation on the border between China and India, as clashes occured earlier in the week in the disputed border area of eastern Ladakh.
The two countries are facing a border conflict, since they lack a marked border in the Himalayas. The region only has a Line of Actual Control established after the 1962 war between India and China that divides the area into Indian and Chinese-controlled regions.
https://sputniknews.com/asia/202009111080424310-india-china-agree-to-protect-existing-border-agreements-avoid-escalation-of-tensions/