India and China signed 13 agreements here on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping called for speeding up the boundary resolution process.
India raised concerns over the standoff at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh “and repeated incidents” along the border.
A Defence Ministry source said soldiers had formed a “human wall” to deal with the ongoing face-off. In Beijing, however, a Foreign Ministry official said the situation had been “effectively controlled” and “managed.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said during his regular briefing on Thursday that the incident along the border “has been effectively controlled with immediate effect.”
“China hopes to continue to work with the Indian side to safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border area and solve the border issue through consultation and dialogue.”
In a strong statement, Prime Minister Modi said, “Respect for each other’s sensitivities and concerns, and peace and stability in our relations and along our borders are essential for us to realise the enormous potential in our relations.”
He also urged for the “clarification” or demarcation of the Line of Actual Control and an “early settlement of the boundary question.” President Xi also hoped that the boundary resolution could be resolved “quickly” as he said, “India and China have to come together for Asia to progress. When India and Asia speak in one voice, the world has to pay attention.” However, Mr. Xi said while India and China had made some progress on the boundary resolution, “some incidents are there because the boundaries haven’t been demarcated.”
