India and China end  months-long border stand-off

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Aug 29, 2017 06:00 am

BEIJING: China yesterday said it was "pleased" India had agreed to withdraw troops from a disputed border area in the Himalayas following a months-long stand-off.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said its personnel on the ground verified that Indian troops and equipment had pulled back from the area, which is disputed between China and Bhutan.

India's Foreign Ministry had announced an "expeditious disengagement" in the Doklam area after reaching an "understanding" with Beijing on the face-off that began on June 16.

The stand-off started after Chinese troops began building a road on the remote Doklam plateau.

India - a close ally of Bhutan - has an army base nearby and moved soldiers into the flashpoint zone to halt the work, prompting Beijing to accuse it of trespassing on Chinese soil.

China had repeatedly said India must withdraw its troops before any negotiation takes place. India had said both sides should withdraw their forces together. - AFP