'Closely Following Developments': US Welcomes India-China Border Disengagement, But...

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Washington is closely monitoring the situation, and it also discussed with New Delhi the latest developments along the LAC.

The United States has welcomed the 'reduction in tensions' along the India-China border following the recent disengagement of troops of the two neighbouring countries along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that Washington is closely monitoring the situation, and it also discussed with New Delhi the latest developments along the LAC. However, he further clarified that the US has not played any role in the resolution.

Speaking at the daily press briefing on Tuesday, Miller said, "We are closely following the developments, and we understand that both countries have taken initial steps to withdraw troops from the friction points along the LAC. We welcome any reduction in tensions along the border." "We have talked to our Indian partners and taken a brief on it, but we did not play any role in this resolution," he added.

Meanwhile, the disengagement process in the Depsang and Demchok areas of the Eastern Ladakh sector is almost over, defence sources told news agency ANI. The armies of India and China are verifying the vacation of positions and removal of infrastructure by each other there, the ANI sources added.

India has been working towards resolving this long-standing dispute to restore the pre-April 2020 situation prior to the onset of Chinese aggression in the area. On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that frontier troops of both nations are engaged in "relevant work" in line with the agreement reached on border issues. During a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that this work is progressing "smoothly."

On October 25, Army sources told news agency PTI that the process is likely to get completed by October 28-29.

The agreement framework was "signed" first at the diplomatic level and then military-level talks took place, the Army sources had said, adding the nitty-gritty of the agreement was worked in the Corps Commander-level talks, which was signed kast week. Adhering to agreements between the two sides, Indian troops then begun to pull back equipment to rear locations in these areas.

The disengagement at the two friction points is in its "final stages", PTI reported, citing an official source on Tuesday. Last week the agreement was arrived at only for these two friction points, and "talks were still underway" for other areas.

The sources have said that patrolling will begin at the these points once the disengagement that began last week is completed and both sides will move their respective troops and dismantle temporary structures. Eventually, they added, the areas and patrolling status is expected to be moved back to pre-April 2020 level.

The patrolling will be done by armed personnel and structures to be dismantled include temporary sheds and tents, a source said. The process follows the agreement firmed up between the two countries on patrolling and disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, a major breakthrough to end the over four-year standoff.

The ties between the two Asian giants had nosedived following a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.