NEW DELHI, BEIJING: India and China have begun implementing an agreement to end a military standoff on their disputed Himalayan border, the two sides said on Friday, in the biggest thaw between the Asian giants since deadly clashes between their armies four years ago.
Troops who were eyeball-to-eyeball at two points on the frontier in the western Himalayas had begun pulling back, an Indian government source said, heralding an end to the standoff.
The nuclear-armed neighbors struck a deal earlier this week on patrolling the frontier, which 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,” Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said on Friday.
In New Delhi, a government official aware of the details said troops on both sides had started withdrawing from the areas of Depsang and Demchok, the last remaining points where they had stood face-to-face.
The source spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media on the issue.
India’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Neither side has provided details of the new pact, which is expected to help improve political and business ties damaged by a deadly military clash in 2020, when 20 Indian and four Chinese troops died in clashes in the Galwan Valley.
The two sides had earlier pulled back troops from five other face-off points, but the last withdrawal of troops took place over two years ago.
On Wednesday, Xi and Modi agreed to boost communication and co-operation in a bid to help resolve conflict.
But officials in India said that New Delhi would still be cautious and is ready to only take baby steps toward building economic ties with Beijing, given the trust deficit of the last four years.
India had blocked direct flights with China, banned hundreds of Chinese mobile applications, and added layers of vetting on Chinese investments, virtually blocking all major proposals from the likes of BYD and Great Wall Motors.
Two Indian government sources said that India would now consider opening up the skies and fast tracking visa approvals to complement the recent easing of tensions, but New Delhi is not yet ready to reverse all the steps it took against Beijing any time soon.
The Asian giants went to war in 1962 over their undemarcated border, which has been a constant irritant in ties.
India, China begin implementing new border pact, ending Himalayan face-off
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India, China begin implementing new border pact, ending Himalayan face-off
- The two sides had earlier pulled back troops from five other face-off points, but the last withdrawal of troops took place over two years ago
International baby milk recall leads to French legal action
- Eight French families have joined a lawsuit filed by Foodwatch
- The complaint, while not naming the manufacturers or government agencies, calls for a legal investigation
PARIS: A recall of potentially contaminated infant milk formula in some 60 countries has taken a legal turn in France after a watchdog and eight families filed a lawsuit accusing manufacturers and the government of acting too slowly.
Eight French families, who said their babies suffered severe digestive problems after drinking formula named in the recall, have joined a lawsuit filed by Foodwatch, which AFP has seen.
The complaint, while not naming the manufacturers or government agencies, calls for a legal investigation.
Foodwatch, a European consumer association, believes that producers could not have ignored the risks to babies by leaving their milk on sale in France and in more than a dozen European countries, as well as in Australia, Russia, Qatar or Egypt.
Several manufacturers, including giants like Nestle, Danone, and Lactalis have issued recalls of infant formula in more than 60 countries, including France, since December due to a risk of cereulide contamination.
Cereulide, a toxin produced by certain bacteria, is “likely to cause primarily digestive problems, such as vomiting or diarrhea,” according to the French health ministry, though it said last week it so far had not determined a link to the symptoms experienced by the infants.
In the complaint, Foodwatch accuses milk powder manufacturers of delaying action between the initial warnings in December and the recalls, some of which were not widely publicized. They became more widespread in January.
Foodwatch believes that parents were told too little, too late, and in a confusing manner. French agriculture minister Annie Genevard said however that procedures had been “very well followed.”
Two separate criminal investigations have already been opened in France following the deaths of two infants who consumed infant formula recalled by Nestle due to “possible contamination” by a bacterial substance, although no “causal link” has yet been established, according to authorities.
Authorities are accused in the Foodwatch complaint of delaying action and of deficiencies in their controls.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced meanwhile that it had been asked by the European Commission to establish a standard for cereulide in children’s products. It will issue an opinion on February 2.
