After Jaishankar's '75%' remark, China says it disengaged troops from four areas in Ladakh in recent years

The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday (Sept 13) that in recent years, the country's military troops had disengaged at four places in Eastern Ladakh, including the Galwan Valley.

This statement comes a day after Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talkson the sidelines of a meeting of the BRICS high-ranking officials responsible for security matters in St Petersburg in Russia.

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The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday that New Delhi and Beijing agreed during their meeting in Russiato work together to create conditions for the improvement of bilateral relations.

'Situation along border is stable'

On being asked whether the two countrieswere close to a breakthrough to revive the bilateral ties frozen for over four years due to the military standoff in Eastern Ladakh, Foreign Ministry spokespersonMao Ning told reporters on Friday thatthe two militaries realised disengagement in four areas and the situation along the border is stable.

“In recent years, front-line armies of the two countries have realised disengagement in four areas in the Western sector of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley. The China-India border situation is generally stable and under control,” Mao added.

'75% of disengagement problems with China sorted out'

Mao's remarks came a day after Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar saidthat roughly 75% of the “disengagement problems” with China had been sorted outbut the bigger issue was the increasing militarisation of the frontier.

The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from many friction points.

"We did not have an easy relationship in the past. What happened in 2020 was in violation of multiple agreements, the Chinese moved a large number of troops to the Line of Actual Control. We, in response, moved our troops up.. Some progress on border talks with China. 75 per cent of disengagement problems are sorted out. We still have some things to do," Jaishankar said during his conversation with Ambassador Jean-David Levitte at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

"If there is a solution to disengagement and there is a return to peace and tranquillity, we can look at other possibilities. That is the immediate issue," he added.