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China and India have reached a new agreement to reduce tensions on the Himalayan border.
The two countries agreed to restore “peace and stability” on the border after a diplomatic meeting in Moscow, the Reuters news agency reported on Friday.
A joint statement issued by the two countries said the two foreign ministers had agreed on five issues. These include adhering to all agreements and protocols in the handling of front-line troops at the border, working to maintain peace and stability, and refraining from activities that may create tensions.
The statement further said that the current border situation between the two countries is not desirable for either country. Both sides should quickly deactivate the troops and reduce tensions on the border.
The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border area does not benefit either party, the statement said. Therefore, both China and India will try to accelerate the process of removing the additional troops deployed from the Royal Line of Control as soon as possible on the basis of military-level meetings. At the same time, it has been decided to reduce the tension by increasing the gap between the military bases of the two sides.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jayashankar held separate meetings at the Conference of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Russian capital, Moscow.
China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that Wang had said at the meeting that it was important “to immediately stop shooting and stop provocative activities that violate the commitments of the two sides.”
Furthermore, he told Jayashankar that additional troops and equipment deployed to the border should be withdrawn.
According to Reuters, Wang’s comments do not match recent actions by the Chinese military.
On Wednesday, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sent troops, bombers and armored vehicles to the border, according to a report in the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party of China, Global Times.
Chinese state media also recently reported on an armed jump drill conducted by PLA paratroopers in Tibet.
In an editorial published Thursday night, the Global Times said that any conversation with India should focus on “war preparations.”
“If the diplomatic meeting fails, China must be fully prepared to take military action,” the newspaper said. It is important that China’s front-line troops can respond to emergencies and be ready for war at any time.
The Global Times added, “India has extraordinary confidence to face China. India does not have enough power. If India follows its radical Chinese policy from an extreme nationalist power, it will have to pay the highest price.
Earlier this week, clashes broke out between India and China in the western Himalayan border region for the first time in 45 years. China and India have repeatedly accused each other of shooting themselves into the air.
Only then did the two countries focus on strengthening their military positions. Both countries have deployed additional troops and military equipment, including tanks, to the Pangong Lake area.
