India and China pledge to maintain 'peace and harmony' on the border News
In a statement, Beijing and New Delhi said they had "agreed to resolve the remaining issues expeditiously".
Chinese and Indian military commanders have vowed to "maintain peace and tranquility" along their disputed border, in an apparent effort by the sides to stabilize the situation after rising tensions.
The defense ministries of the two countries issued identical statements late on Tuesday, saying the 19th round of commander-level talks on Sunday and Monday led to a "positive, constructive and in-depth discussion" centered on the Line of Actual Control. Issues related to control in the western sector of the border were to be resolved.
The statement said they were "agreed to resolve the remaining issues expeditiously," but there was no indication that either side was ready to make concessions.
"In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas," it added.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin praised Wednesday's talks at the Indian military post in the town of Chishul-Moldo, and the two sides to "maintain the momentum of communication and communication through military and diplomatic channels". Highlighted commitment.
The Line of Actual Control separates the territories held by China and India from Ladakh in the west to the eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. India and China fought a war on their border in 1962. As its name suggests, it divides areas of physical control rather than territorial claims.
According to India, the de facto border is 3,488 km (2,167 mi) long, but China promotes a much shorter number.
In total, China claims about 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 sq mi) of territory in India's northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh, which has a predominantly Buddhist population.
India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi) of its territory in the Aksai Chen plateau, which India considers part of Ladakh, where the current standoff is taking place.
China, meanwhile, began strengthening ties with India's rival Pakistan and supported it over the disputed Kashmir issue.
Firefights broke out again in 1967 and 1975, resulting in high casualties on both sides. They have since adopted protocols, including an agreement not to use firearms, but those protocols have been broken.
20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in a clash in the Ladakh region three years ago. It turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous terrain, where each side has deployed tens of thousands of troops backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.
Both India and China have withdrawn troops from Pangong Tso, Gogra and parts of the northern and southern fringes of the Galwan Valley, but continue to retain additional troops as part of a multi-tiered deployment.
In April, India's defense minister, during talks with his Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu, accused China of violating the bilateral agreements and destroying the "entire basis" of the relationship between the countries.
India says the deployment of large numbers of Chinese troops, their aggressive behavior and attempts to unilaterally change the border status are violations of agreements between the countries.
Li was visiting New Delhi to attend the Defense Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization comprising China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
