India, China begin implementing new pact, ending Himalayan face-off

India and China have begun implementing an agreement to end a military stand-off on their disputed Himalayan border, the two sides said on Oct 25, in the biggest thaw between the Asian giants since deadly clashes between their armies in 2020.

- 

Troops who were eyeball to eyeball at two points on the frontier in the Western Himalayas have begun pulling back, an Indian government source said, heralding an end to the stand-off.

The nuclear-armed neighbours struck a deal earlier this week on patrolling the frontier. This then paved the way for the first formal talks in five years between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a regional summit in Russia.

"According to the recently agreed solution between India and China... their frontline armies are implementing relevant work, with smooth progress so far," Mr Lin Jian, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said on Oct 23.