India, China reach four-point 'consensus' in 16th round of military talks, says Chinese military

China's military on Thursday said that a four-point "consensus" has been reached at the recent Corps Commander-level meeting with India which included maintaining the momentum of resumption of bilateral ties, effectively managing differences and safeguarding the stability at the borders.

India and China failed to make any breakthrough in resolving outstanding issues on the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh at the 16th round of military talks on July 17, but agreed to maintain dialogue to arrive at a mutually acceptable resolution at the earliest.

A day after the talks, the two sides, in a joint statement, reaffirmed that the resolution of the pending issues would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the region and enable progress in bilateral relations.

At the talks, India strongly pressed for early disengagement of troops from all the remaining friction points in the region and demanded the restoration of the status quo ante as of April 2020 -- before the start of the military standoff, official sources said in New Delhi.

Commenting on the 16th round of China-India Corps Commander-Level Meeting, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defence, said the two sides discussed issues in a "constructive and forward-looking way, and reached four consensuses."

The Commanders meeting discussed the settlement of the friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the China military online, the official portal of the Chinese military, quoted Sr. Col. Wu as saying.

They reached a four-point "consensus," he told an online media briefing here on Thursday.

Asked to elaborate on the consensus, he said the first point was to adhere to the political guidance and earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. The second consensus was to focus on the overall situation and maintain the resumption momentum of bilateral relations, he said.

The third consensus was to effectively manage and control differences, and safeguard the security and stability in border areas until the issue is solved. The fourth consensus reached by the two sides was to maintain communication and dialogue, and reach a mutually acceptable solution as soon as possible, the spokesperson said.

He said at present, the situation in the border areas between China and India is generally stable, and the communication through the military and diplomatic channels between the two sides has never stopped.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas.

Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.