India-China border situation is under control, Army Chief General MM Naravane said today

New Delhi:

The “situation along our borders with China is under control”, Army Chief General MM Naravane said Saturday morning, adding that a series of meetings between senior military commanders from both sides had resulted in “a lot of disengagement” and that “all perceived differences that we (India and China) have will be set to rest”.

“I would like to assure everyone that the entire situation along our borders with China is under control. We’re having a series of talks which started with Corps Commander level and has been followed up with meetings at local levels between commanders of equivalent ranks,” General Naravane was quoted by news agency ANI.

“As a result, a lot of disengagement has taken place and we are hopeful that through the continued dialogue we’re having, all perceived differences that we (India and China) have will be set to rest,” the general added.

On Friday the two sides held further talks – this time at the Major General-level – to resolve the stand-off. This was the fifth round of talks since reports of skirmishes and incursions by Chinese helicopters in Ladakh’s Pangong Lake region in early May led to an escalation of tension.

Earlier this week government sources confirmed that Indian and Chinese troops had begun mutual disengagement in some parts of eastern Ladakh. Sources said a “significant” number of Chinese troops had pulled back by three kilometres and, in a gesture of reciprocation, India pulled back some of its troops too.

On Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India wanted a resolution of the decades-old border issue with China “as soon as possible”.

In an attempt to defuse tension, Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, the General Officer Commanding of Leh-based 14 Corps, and Commander of the Tibet Military District Major General Liu Lin held an extensive meeting on Saturday.

A day later, the foreign ministry said in a statement that the meeting took place in a “cordial and positive atmosphere” and that both sides had agreed that an “early resolution” would contribute to further development of the relationship between the two countries.

The Chinese foreign ministry, in a statement, said both the countries had agreed to work to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and resolve the standoff through talks.