India, China to end standoff in Ladakh by Monday

New Delhi/ Beijing: India and China will complete the disengagement process in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in eastern Ladakh by September 12, the External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi on Friday.

The ministry's comment came a day after the Indian and Chinese armies announced that they have begun to disengage from the Gogra-Hotsprings Patrolling Point 15, where the two sides have been locked in a standoff for over two years. The announcement of the disengagement of troops came around a week ahead of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Uzbekistan which is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping among other leaders of the grouping.

In Beijing, when asked whether India and China are in communication about a possible Modi-Xi meeting on the sidelines of the SCO summit to be held in Samarkand on September 15 to 16, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a briefing that she has "no information to offer at this moment."

"We believe the disengagement will be a positive progress and is conducive to peace and tranquility in the border areas, and China also hopes to work with India to uphold peace and stability," she added.

Responding to a question on the disengagement process, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said, "It has been agreed that all temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area by both sides will be dismantled and mutually verified. The landforms in the area will be restored to the pre-standoff period by both sides. The two sides have also agreed to take the talks forward and resolve remaining issues and restore peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in India-China border areas, he said.