New Delhi, September 20
India today said it was carefully following the process initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after raising the issue of incursions in Ladakh with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A day after both sides issued a joint statement recognising early resolution to the border issue as a strategic objective, official sources said nearly 35 People’s Liberation Army men returned to Chumar in northeast Ladakh and were perched on a hillock claiming the area to be part of China, while 300 soldiers were maintaining presence close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Responding to a question on the unchanged ground situation, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin called for patience to see the results, stating: “Diplomacy is not an instant coffee. It works in ways that it is difficult for people who are not engaged with it to perceive and understand what is happening. You are aware that India at the highest level has taken it up and also what our public statements are...Therefore, allow this process to function. I assure you that the process that was initiated by the Prime Minister is being carefully followed and we are awaiting an outcome.

At the end of the bilateral meeting with President Xi, Modi had said he expressed serious concern over repeated incursions. Modi further said both he and Xi agreed that peace and tranquility in the border region were essential for mutual trust and confidence.

Noting that border-related agreements and confidence-building measures have worked well, India, he said, asked China to resume the stalled process and settle the boundary issue early.