The ninth
round of talks between the Indian and Chinese militaries on Sunday was “positive, practical and constructive”, the Indian Army said on Monday, adding that the
two sides have agreed to push for an early disengagement.

The ninth
round of India-China Corps Commander Level meeting was held on the Chinese side
of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point. It lasted for over 16 hours as
the two sides had a “candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement” along
the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the western sector of the India-China
border, PTI quoted a joint-statement on the Sino-Indian military talks as saying .

The
statement further said that the meeting enhanced mutual trust and understanding
and the two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of their troops.

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“Two sides agreed that this round of meeting was positive, practical and constructive, which further enhanced mutual trust and understanding. The two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops.”

“They also
agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the
good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the 10th round of the Corps
Commander Level Meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation,” the
statement said.

Sunday’s
talks come on the back of a “minor face-off” between Indian and Chinsese troops
at Naku La in North Sikkim on January 20, which was resolved by local
commanders according to protocols, PTI reported.

Sources
familiar with the incident said that the Chinese troops attempted to transgress
into the Indian side and were stopped by Indian military personnel, following
which a brawl broke out.

India and
China have been embroiled in a military standoff for over nine months since the
Galwan Valley clashes in Ladakh last year. Nearly 100,000 Indian and Chinese
troops have been deployed in eastern Ladakh since as both sides look to find an
amicable solution.