China and India Agree to Maintain Peace Along Disputed Himalayan Border

China and India agreed to maintain peace along their common border in the 20th round of talks between the neighbors on the worst dispute over the issue in 20 years.

“The two sides exchanged views in a frank, open and constructive manner for an early and mutually acceptable resolution,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement after the talks ended Wednesday.

At least 20 Indian and unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in a skirmish in June 2020 along the 3,488 kilometer (2,167 miles) unmarked disputed Himalayan border. Relations between the two nuclear-armed countries have soured since, with India reducing visas for Chinese nationals and tightening qualifications for its neighbor’s companies.

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Military and diplomatic discussions to resolve the crisis along the boundary have made incremental progress, with both sides pulling back soldiers from a few friction points.   

The two countries agreed to maintain the “momentum of dialogue and negotiations through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms,” the Indian ministry statement said. “They also committed to maintain peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in the interim.”