Beijing: India and China have begun implementing an agreement to end the military confrontation on their disputed border in the Himalayan region, the two sides said on Friday, in the biggest thaw between the two Asian giants since the bloody clashes between their armies four years ago.
An Indian government source said that the forces that were close together at two points on the border in the western Himalayas began to withdraw, which heralds the end of the confrontation.
The nuclear-armed neighbors reached an agreement earlier this week on border patrols, which then paved the way for the first formal talks in five years between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a regional summit in Russia.
“According to the solution recently agreed upon between India and China, their front-line militaries are carrying out relevant work, with smooth progress so far,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday.
In New Delhi, a government official familiar with the details said that forces from both sides began withdrawing from the Depsang and Demchok areas, which are the last remaining points where the forces stood face to face.
The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media about this issue.
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to A Reuters Request for comment.
Neither side provided details of the new agreement, which is expected to help improve political and trade ties damaged by a deadly military clash in 2020, when 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed in clashes in the Galwan Valley.
The two sides had previously withdrawn their forces from five other confrontation points, but the last withdrawal of forces occurred more than two years ago.
Xi and Modi agreed on Wednesday to strengthen communication and cooperation in a bid to help resolve the conflict.
But officials in India said that New Delhi would remain cautious and willing to take small steps towards building economic relations with Beijing, given the lack of trust in the past four years.
India has banned direct flights with China, blocked hundreds of Chinese mobile apps, and added layers of scrutiny on Chinese investments, effectively blocking all major proposals from the likes of BYD and Great Wall Motors.
Two Indian government sources said that India will now consider opening skies and accelerating visa approvals to complement the recent easing of tensions, but New Delhi is not yet ready to undo all the steps it has taken against Beijing any time soon.
The Asian giants went to war in 1962 over their undemarcated border, which has been a constant irritant in relations.