Updated: Aug 28, 2017 14:15 IST
“In recent weeks, India and China maintained diplomatic communication in respect of incident at Doklam... we were able to express our views and convey our concerns and interests. On this basis, expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam has been agreed to and is on-going,” the ministry of external affairs said in a short statement, without giving any details of the disengagement.
Within the hour, Chinese foreign ministry said Indian forces “have already withdrawn to the Indian side of border”. “Chinese forces will continue to patrol in Doklam region,” China’s ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) spokesperson Hua Chunying said during the daily briefing.
The decision put a lid on of the most serious disputes between the two neighbours who share a 3,500-km disputed frontier. It also comes day before a summit of the BRICS nations — a grouping that also includes Brazil, Russia and South Africa — in China early next month that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the summit.
Troops from both sides were involved in a showdown at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction Doklam since June 16.
India has said its troops acted in coordination with the Bhutan government to oppose the construction of a road by Chinese troops in the strategic region that Thimphu claims as its own territory.
China blamed Indian of trespassing on its territory, and over the past weeks, went to the extent of warning New Delhi that the impasse could lead to a wider military confrontation. Its state-controlled media also launched a PR campaign against India.
“On the afternoon on August 28, India has pulled back all trespassing personnel, equipment to the Indian side of the boundary. Chinese personnel on the ground have verified this,” Hua said on Monday.
“The Chinese side will continue to exercise its sovereignty, uphold territorial integrity in accordance with the historical conventions,” she said.