India, China discuss steps to end border impasse early

By ASHOK SHARMA
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with his Indian counterpart and the national security adviser to expedite the disengagement of thousands of Indian and Chinese forces involved in a tense faceoff and occasional clashes along their disputed border. A fierce brawl in June 2020 exploded into hand-to-hand combat with clubs, stones and fists that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. China said it lost four soldiers in the clash.  India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told reporters after the meeting that the situation is a work in progress at a slower pace than desirable. He said the tensions arising from China’s deployment can’t be reconciled with the normal relationship between the neighbors. Wang did not speak to the media.