Tensions between the two countries increased after India said Chinese forces had settled in a disputed section of their shared Himalayan border. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told CNN News 18 affiliate that a "significant number" of Chinese troops have moved over the effective line of control (LAC) between the two countries. The LAC was created in 1993 as part of an attempt to delimit a long border between the two countries, but its precise location can be blurred. There are still disputes between China and India over the end of one country and the start of the other.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs released a statement on Sunday that the military leaders of the two countries have come together to dispel the tensions.
The meeting took place in "a cordial and positive atmosphere" and the two sides agreed to "peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas", the statement said.
India and China share one of the longest land borders in the world, where conflict has broken out intermittently since a bloody border war in 1962.
Last month, an aggressive cross-border skirmish between Chinese and Indian forces caused light injuries to the troops. The incident has been followed in recent weeks by unconfirmed reports of tensions in the mountainous region, although neither party has publicly acknowledged anything out of the ordinary.
The release of the Indian authorities on Sunday said the two countries had agreed to "continue military and diplomatic commitments" to "ensure peace and tranquility" in the border areas.
The last time border tensions peaked was in 2017 when troops massed in and around the disputed Doklam Plateau, a thin strip of land at the junction between India, China and Bhutan. Although not part of Indian territory, the region is close to the "chicken neck", a strategic corridor that serves as a vital artery between Delhi and its states in the far northeast.
Bhutan has accused China of building a road within its territory, which Beijing has denied. India then intervened to support Bhutan's claims, which resulted in a deadlock that lasted several months, which included live fire exercises by the People's Liberation Army on the border.
