New Delhi: China Tuesday confirmed that “progress” has been made over resumption of patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and that both Beijing and New Delhi have “reached a solution on relevant matters,” which the Chinese government views “positively”.
“China and India have maintained close communication through diplomatic and military channels regarding border-related issues. Currently, the two sides have reached a solution on the relevant matters, which China views positively. In the next phase, China will work with India to effectively implement the solution plan,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian was quoted as saying by Global Times, the daily operating under the auspices of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Beijing’s confirmation of a solution on disengagement across the LAC comes almost 24 hours after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri first announced that an arrangement had been reached with respect to patrolling along friction points in eastern Ladakh.
“Over the last several weeks, Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other in a variety of forums … as a result of these discussions, agreement has been arrived on patrolling arrangement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along India-China border leading to disengagement and resolution of the issues that had risen in these areas in 2020. And we will be taking the next step on this,” said Misri during a special briefing Monday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kazan in Russia for the BRICS summit.
With the new arrangement the two countries have taken the first step to resolve the border standoff, which began in June 2020 after the Galwan clashes. Both New Delhi and Beijing have agreed to resume patrolling in accordance with the “agreed perceived LAC” including at the Depsang Plains and Demchok, as reported by ThePrint earlier.
The new agreement also puts in place protocols for patrolling that will be done in all areas as it was before the clashes in 2020. Each country will be allowed to patrol the areas twice a month, with a fixed contingent of 15 personnel to avoid any further clashes.
Furthermore, both sides have agreed to inform each other before carrying out patrolling along the LAC. With regards to Depsang, the Chinese armed forces will remove any defensive positions and or camps set up in the area, and will not block Indian troops from the bottleneck area.
For four and a half years, the situation between India and China has “not been good” due to the border standoff. While the new arrangement is expected to lead to complete disengagement along the LAC, troops deployed there will not be recalled immediately with the exception of seasonal withdrawal ahead of the winter.
With the arrangement now in place, there is also a greater likelihood that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may hold a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping of China at the margins of the BRICS summit.
Since the Galwan clashes, high level communication between the two sides was minimal, especially between November 2022 and February 2024.
However, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi twice in July this year. Wang also met with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in September, indicating that bilateral efforts to achieve a thaw in ties were gathering pace.
Also Read: India-China end 4-yr LAC standoff. CutTheClutter on the new protocols & political implications