A file image of NSA Doval meeting Wang Yi.
Locked in a bitter stand-off since last seven weeks, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi had a telephone conversation on Sunday. An official communication released today by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) states that the two sides agreed that it was necessary to ensure at the earliest complete disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquility.
"They had a frank and in-depth exchange of views on the recent development in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas," the ministry said.
NSA Doval and Wang Yi also agreed that both sides should take guidance from consensus of the leaders that maintenance of peace and tranquility in India-China border areas was essential for development of bilateral relations and that both shouldn't allow differences to become disputes, it further mentioned.
The official release said that both agreed that India and China should complete the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC expeditiously. The two sides should also ensure a phased and stepwise de-escalation in the India-China border areas, it said.
They re-affirmed that both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC and should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any incident in the future that could disturb peace and tranquility in border areas, the MEA said.
Earlier today, reports came in about the Chinese PLA moving back from patrolling point 14, which had emerged as a hotspot after Chinese troops moved ahead of the LAC in the Galwan region. Reports indicated that the Chinese army had moved back nearly 2 kilometers from the Galwan Valley.
For the last seven weeks, the Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh. Tensions between New Delhi and Beijing escalated manifold after 20 soldiers were martyred in Galwan Valley. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. Both sides have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks in the last few weeks to ease tension.
