Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

Chinese and Indian foreign ministers issued a joint press release with a five-point consensus reached to de-escalate the current border tensions, after their highly anticipated meeting in Moscow Thursday evening. 

China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi elaborated China’s solemn position on the bilateral border situation at the meeting, and stressed that the key task at the moment is to stop firing, provocation and all dangerous acts that violate the commitments, withdraw all trespassing personnel and equipment, and disengage as soon as possible to cool down the situation. 

Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

 
In the five-point consensus, Wang and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar agree that China and India should follow the guidance of the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries including that divergence should not be escalated into conflicts.

The current conflict in the border areas does not serve the interests of either side. The border troops of the two countries should continue dialogue, disengage as soon as possible, maintain necessary distance and ease the current situation.

The two foreign ministers also agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should speed up the completion of new measures to build mutual trust, and maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas.

China supports the border troops to strengthen onsite dialogue and solve specific issues. China is also ready to maintain diplomatic and military communication with India to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas. 

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers meeting in Moscow and was viewed by experts of both sides as a last resort to peacefully settle the current border clash, after previous meetings at the commanders level as well as last week’s defense ministers’ meeting in Moscow failed to stop the border conflicts.

Jaishankar said at the meeting that India does not want to see the escalation of tension in the border area and India's policy toward China has not changed. He said the India does not want to repeat the old path and India is ready to work with China to ease the border tension through dialogue and negotiation.

Global Times