Srinagar: India and China have agreed to end their standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), with troops from both countries beginning to withdraw from two friction points in eastern Ladakh. The nations recently decided to resume joint patrolling along the LAC.
Reports indicate that India has started moving equipment from the friction areas of Demchok and Depsang to rear locations.
An official noted that these were the last two friction points and that while withdrawals are mutual, the resumption of patrolling may take time due to the removal of structures established since the April 2020 clashes.
During an event on Thursday, Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh emphasised the significance of the agreement with China. He stated that talks at military and diplomatic levels had led to a consensus on restoring the ground situation based on mutual security principles. Singh referred to the disengagement as a triumph of dialogue, noting that the consensus includes provisions for patrolling and traditional grazing areas.
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently met at the BRICS Summit, where Modi stressed the importance of managing differences during their 50-minute discussion.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri explained that recent discussions between Indian and Chinese negotiators have resulted in an agreement on patrolling arrangements, facilitating disengagement and resolving issues from 2020.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that the agreement includes patrolling, allowing disengagement to revert to the situation as it was in 2020.
This development follows the deadly clashes in 2020, which claimed the lives of over 20 soldiers from both sides and led to the deployment of more than 100,000 troops along the borders.
