China-India border talks: dispute to be resolved ‘as soon as possible’
- 20th round of commander-level meetings agrees to seek ‘mutually acceptable’ solution, the Chinese foreign ministry said
- The two-day talks on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control were held against a backdrop of simmering tensions between Beijing and Delhi
China’s defence ministry said the two sides conducted “active, in-depth and constructive communication” on resolving the issues surrounding the western section of the China-India border in a “mutually acceptable manner as soon as possible”.
The meeting was the 20th round of commander-level talks and took place on the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Monday and Tuesday, the ministry said on Thursday.
“Under the joint guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the two sides exchanged views in a candid, open and forward-looking manner,” according to the ministry statement.
They also “agreed to maintain the momentum of communication and dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and resolve the remaining issues as soon as possible” and to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the China-India border.
The rare meeting between the two sides at a location near the border comes two months after the previous round of talks in August, and did not include an agreement on a specific time frame to resolve the dispute.