In a statement, Beijing and New Delhi said they ‘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 two countries’ defense ministries issued joint statements on Tuesday, saying the 19th round of commander-level talks held on Sunday and Monday produced a “positive, constructive and in-depth discussion” centered on solving issues related to the Actual Line. Control of the western sector of the border.
The statement said they “agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner,” but gave no indication that either side was willing 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 on Wednesday praised the talks, which were held at the Indian army post in the city of Chushul-Moldo, and stressed the commitment of both sides to “continue the momentum of communication and dialogue through in military and diplomatic channels”.
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 went to war on their border in 1962. As its name suggests, it divided areas of physical control rather than territorial claims.
According to India, the de facto border is 3,488 kilometers (2,167 miles) long, but China advocates a shorter figure.
In total, China claims about 90,000 square km (35,000 square miles) of territory in northeastern India, including Arunachal Pradesh with a predominantly Buddhist population.
India says China occupies 38,000 square km (15,000 square miles) of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau, which India considers part of Ladakh, where the current standoff is taking place.
China, meanwhile, has begun cementing ties with India’s archrival Pakistan and is supporting it on the disputed Kashmir issue.
Fighting broke out again in 1967 and 1975, leading to more deaths on both sides. They have since adopted protocols, including an agreement not to use weapons, but the protocols have been broken.
An encounter three years ago in the Ladakh region killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese. It has become a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has deployed tens of thousands of military personnel backed by artillery, tanks and jet fighters.
India and China have both withdrawn troops from some areas on the northern and southern banks of the Pangong Tso, Gogra and the Galwan Valley, but continue to maintain additional troops as part of a multi-tier deployment.
In April, India’s defense minister accused China of destroying the “entire basis” of relations between the countries by violating bilateral agreements, during talks with his Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu.
India has said that the deployment of large numbers of Chinese troops, their aggressive behavior and attempts to unilaterally change the status of the border between the countries.
Li visited New Delhi to attend a meeting of defense chiefs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which comprises China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
