The Chinese military announced on Thursday that Indian and Chinese troops are “making progress” in carrying out the recent disengagement agreement for friction points along the eastern Ladakh border, PTI reported.
However, they did not confirm reports suggesting that disengagement has been fully completed.
This was the first official statement from China since the October 21 disengagement agreement. Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defence, stated during a media briefing that both countries had achieved solutions through diplomatic and military channels regarding border issues.
“The frontline troops of the two militaries are proceeding with the implementation of the resolutions in an orderly fashion,” Zhang said, echoing remarks made by the Chinese foreign ministry a day prior. He declined to address reports that troops had fully disengaged at two key points, Demchok and Depsang Plains, and that patrols were set to resume shortly. “I have no additional information on that,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Zhang also highlighted that the agreement to disengage was part of broader bilateral discussions between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.
“Both sides agreed to view and manage bilateral relations with a strategic, long-term approach, ensuring that specific differences don’t impact the overall relationship,” Zhang said.
Earlier, troops from both countries had completed disengagement at Demchok and Depsang Plains, and patrolling would soon resume at these locations. The verification process is ongoing, with ground commanders finalizing patrolling protocols.
