NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
National Security Adviser (NSA) of India Ajit Doval on Friday told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that an “early and complete” disengagement of troops at friction points along the international borders was key to restoring normal ties between the two countries.
The foreign minister of China Wang Yi, who arrived in Delhi last evening, met with NSA Doval today. Doval also called to remove “impediments” in order to allow bilateral ties to “take its natural course”.
Doval further stressed that actions should not violate the spirit of equal and mutual security.
Notably, this is the first visit by a Chinese minister and the highest level of talks between the two nations since the military standoff at Ladakh began two years ago.
Doval reportedly told Yi that it was not in mutual interest that the present situation continued and that restoring peace and tranquility would help to build mutual trust and create an environment for relations to progress.
India and China discussed working in the same direction and resolving earlier issues as quickly as possible. Both sides concluded that maturity and sincerity was needed in handling ties.
Meanwhile, NSA Doval was invited by the Chinese delegation to visit China to take forward the mandate of Special Representative, which he responded to by saying that a visit was possible after immediate issues were resolved successfully between them.
Following the meeting, the Chinese foreign minister along with Doval, met Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar for talks at Delhi’s Hyderabad House.
India and China have held high-level military talks to resolve the standoff in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. Both sides had withdrawn their troops after talks at military and diplomatic levels.
The two Asian powerhouses on March 11, held the 15th round of high-level military dialogue in a bid to resolve pending issues in the eastern Ladakh region.
However, talks to resolve the issues at the remaining points of friction did not progress further.
Following a violent clash between the Indian and Chinese military on May 5, 2020 in the Pangong lake area, there was a standoff between them.
The situation escalated following the clash at Galwan valley on June 15, 2020 in which as many as 20 Indian soldieries and a number of Chinese troops were killed.
Deployment increased over time with both sides amassing troops and weaponry.
The two sides had completed the disengagement process last year in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in the Gogra area after a series of military and diplomatic talks.
Both India and China currently have around 50,000 to 60,000 troops stationed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.
