A Chinese soldier teaches his Indian peers how to pick up food with chopsticks during the dinner on December 11, 2019. The 8th China-India "Hand-in-Hand 2019" Joint Counter-terrorism Exercise kicked off at Umroi Cantonment in India on Dec. 7, 2019. Each military has dispatched 130 service members to take part in the 16-day exercise and the Chinese participating troops are from the PLA Xizang Military Command. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wang Hao)

Chinese and Indian border troops on the frontline have completed disengagement in most locations following close communications between the two sides via military and diplomatic channels, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"The situation is now continuing to head in the direction of easing and cooling down," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told the Global Times at a routine press conference on Tuesday.

"A fifth round of commander-level talks is currently under preparations to resolve the remaining issues," Wang said.

Four rounds of commander-level talks and three meetings on border affair discussions and coordination have been held, Wang noted.

Wang's statement came after Indian media outlet Hindustan Times reported on Saturday, citing sources, that troops from India and China have completed disengagement at Galwan Valley, Patrolling Point 15, and Hot Springs/Gogra area, and the only area where disengagement remains to be implemented is the Finger area along the Pangong Tso lake.

Wang said that China hopes India can meet China halfway, implement the consensus both sides have reached and safeguard peace and stability in the border region together.

Global Times