Beijing, Oct 25 (EFE).- China confirmed Friday that Chinese and Indian troops have started implementing a de-escalation pact in disputed border areas after an arrangement reached between the two sides to reduce Himalayan military tensions.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing that «frontline troops from both sides» were making «smooth progress» on the agreed de-escalation efforts, although he did not provide specific details.
Bloomberg, citing Indian officials, reported that the de-escalation process involves the withdrawal of troops from their current positions and the dismantling of some temporary structures built by both sides in recent years.
Certain disputed areas, however, will remain off-limits to soldiers from either country to prevent potential clashes.
Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping confirmed a de-escalation agreement during a meeting held on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.
The deal, set to take effect in the coming months, marks a step forward in managing tensions along their disputed border.
«We welcome the consensus reached on resolving border issues that have arisen over the past four years,» Modi said at the meeting.
Xi called on both countries to «resolve their conflicts and differences,» underscoring the need for diplomacy during their first formal engagement in nearly five years.
The summit meeting follows a deadly clash in 2020 when a Chinese military incursion in the contested Himalayan region of Ladakh, claimed by both countries, sparked a conflict that led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and injuries to 76 others.
The countries also have longstanding disputes over territories such as Aksai Chin, administered by China but claimed by India, and regions within Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by China but governed by India. EFE
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