China and India held "positive, constructive" discussions on disengaging troops locked in a months-long standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of China-India border areas, said the Chinese Defense Ministry in a statement on Tuesday.
"The two sides had a sincere, in-depth and constructive exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of China-India border areas. They were of the view that these discussions were positive, constructive and had enhanced understanding of each other's positions," said the statement.
According to the statement, the two sides agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels in order to find a "mutually acceptable solution" for the lasting standoff.
"Both sides agreed to earnestly implement the important understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, not to turn differences into disputes, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas," said the statement.
The meeting, began on Monday, is the seventh round of commander-level talks between the two sides. During the sixth round of military talks, military officials of the two sides agreed to stop sending more troops in the border areas.
A commander-level meeting between China's Southern Xinjiang Military District chief and India's 14 Corps commander is held on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control at the China-India border, June 6, 2020. /Xinhua
Tensions between the two sides rose in April, as the Chinese Defense Ministry claimed that the Indian border troops have unilaterally and continuously built roads, bridges and other facilities in the Galwan Valley on the Chinese side, blocked the Chinese troops' patrol in an attempt to unilaterally change the status of the border control. It soon escalated after the two sides clashed on June 15, causing a total of 20 Indian deaths.
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China and India reached a five-point consensus regarding the current situation in early September of which the two countries agreed to ease tension and not allowing differences to become disputes.
India's consistent enhancement of its infrastructures and deployment of forces in the area is recognized as the leading cause of the tension, as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday after India announced it had opened 44 bridges in the border areas.
"We urged the Indian side to fully implement the consensuses reached by the two sides, stop taking any actions that may worsen the situation and maintain peace and stability in the region with concrete efforts," said Zhao in a daily briefing.