UPDATE - Top Chinese Diplomat Notes Improvement At Border With India After Pullout Of Troops

BEIJING/NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th February, 2021) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said during a phone conversation with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, that the situation in the tense border area has considerably improved after both sides withdrew forces along the so-called Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The two sides pulled out their troops from the Pangong Lake area of the LAC earlier in February and held another round of the senior commanders' meeting, discussing the remaining issues in the region.

Wang and Jaishankar talked for over an hour on Thursday to discuss the border situation and bilateral relations.

"The withdrawal of Chinese and Indian troops from the front line in the Pangong Lake area has recently been completed, as a result, the situation in the area has improved significantly," Wang said, as quoted by the ministry in a statement.

The top Chinese diplomat added that Beijing and New Delhi should "appreciate" the current situation and maintain dialogue to further de-escalate the border situation.

Meanwhile, the Indian minister said that the New Delhi-Beijing relations have deteriorated last year over border clashes and time is required to resolve issues between the neighboring nations. At the same time, Jaishankar called for a broader de-escalation in eastern Ladakh after the disengagement of troops at all friction points, the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Noting the completion of disengagement in Pangong Lake area, EAM [the Indian external affairs minister] emphasized that both sides should now quickly resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. EAM said that once disengagement is completed at all friction points, then the two sides could also look at broader de-escalation of troops in the area aхо�nd work towards restoration of peace and tranquility," the ministry said.

The top diplomats also agreed to remain in touch and establish a hotline to exchange views in a timely manner.

Since the 1962 war between India and China, the two lack a duly demarcated borderline in the Himalayas. As a consequence, the area has since frequented seeing hassles between the military of both sides. Following a deadly escalation along the LAC last year, India and China boosted their military presence in the disputed region, while simultaneously launching the disengagement consultations.