A day before China and India took first step indicating truce on Monday at the site of clash in Galwan Valley, India’s national security advisor Ajit Doval had a telephonic conversation with China’s minister of foreign affairs Wang Yi.
India and China reached an agreement during the conversation to expeditiously complete the disengagement of their border troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India and China initiated talks focussing on expeditious de-escalation last week, days after India’s demand for the pullback of Chinese troops from several friction points along the LAC.
India had also sought the restoration of status quo ante in key areas including Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley and the strategic Depsang plains, apart from emphasising the need for thinning the military buildup in the region.
Here is the full statement released by Ministry of External Affairs on NSA Doval’s conversation with China’s Wang:
1. The Special Representatives of India and China on the Boundary Question - Shri Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of India and H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China had a telephone conversation on 5th July 2020. The two Special Representatives had a frank and in-depth exchange of views on the recent developments in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas.
2.The two Special Representatives agreed that both sides should take guidance from the consensus of the leaders that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas was essential for the further development of our bilateral relations and that two sides should not allow differences to become disputes. Therefore, they agreed that it was necessary to ensure at the earliest complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity. In this regard they further agreed that both sides should complete the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC expeditiously. The two sides should also ensure a phased and stepwise de-escalation in the India-China border areas. They re-affirmed that both sides should strictly respect and observe the line of actual control and should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any incident in the future that could disturb peace and tranquillity in border areas.
{{/usCountry}}2.The two Special Representatives agreed that both sides should take guidance from the consensus of the leaders that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas was essential for the further development of our bilateral relations and that two sides should not allow differences to become disputes. Therefore, they agreed that it was necessary to ensure at the earliest complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity. In this regard they further agreed that both sides should complete the ongoing disengagement process along the LAC expeditiously. The two sides should also ensure a phased and stepwise de-escalation in the India-China border areas. They re-affirmed that both sides should strictly respect and observe the line of actual control and should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any incident in the future that could disturb peace and tranquillity in border areas.
{{/usCountry}}3.The two Special Representatives agreed that the diplomatic and military officials of the two sides should continue their discussions, including under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC), and implement the understandings reached in a timely manner to achieve the above outcomes. It was also agreed that the two Special Representatives will continue their conversations to ensure full and enduring restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas in accordance with the bilateral agreements and protocols.