Armies of India, China making ‘great progress’ in implementing settlement: Chinese military spokesperson

In this image from the video, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian speaks during a Defense Ministry press conference held in Beijing on Thursday (November 28, 2024).
| Photo Credit: AP

Stating that the Armies of India and China are implementing the settlement reached between the two countries for disengagement and resumption of patrolling at Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese Defence Ministry said on Thursday (November 28, 2024) that they were making “great progress.”

Defence sources in the know said the frequency of patrolling would be a maximum of one patrol a week by each side in Depsang and Demchok. Talks are continuing between the two sides for resumption of patrolling in other five friction points where buffer zones are in place following disengagement.

Last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun in Laos on the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus. The meeting came in the backdrop of the disengagement and the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

“We also look forward to harmonious dance between the Chinese dragon and Indian Elephant with concerted steps,” Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Sr Col Wu Qian said at the monthly media briefing in Beijing.

‘Positive meeting’

On the meeting between the two leaders, he said they had a “positive and constructive” meeting and agreed to implement the important consensus reached between the top leaders and promote stable relations between the two countries. “Now, we are making great progress,” Sr Col Wu said.

During the meeting, Mr. Singh called for reflecting on the lessons learnt from the unfortunate border clashes of 2020, “take measures to prevent recurrence of such events and safeguard peace and tranquillity along the India-China border” and both sides agreed to work together towards a road map for rebuilding mutual trust and understanding.

The spokesperson said the two militaries should strictly abide by the recent common understandings reached by the two sides to de-escalate tensions at the border areas, make efforts to bring down the tensions and focus on enhancing mutual trust and exchanges between the two countries. “We hope the two sides can seize the opportunity and build new momentum to make new progress in the military-to-military relations,” he added.

The two sides have since completed disengagement from Depsang and Demchok, the last two remaining friction points of the 2020 stand-off, and have resumed coordinated patrolling. On November 4, the Indian Army announced that it had patrolled one of the five patrolling points in Depsang, PP 10 and shortly after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army too resumed patrolling.