India announced on Monday that it has reached a key breakthrough in talks with China following a four-year military standoff between the two nuclear-powered neighbors.
The development was confirmed by the Indian Foreign Ministry on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia for the BRICS summit, where he could hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines.
According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, both sides agreed on arrangements for patrolling along the so-called Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh region, to ensure no violations occur. The agreement was the outcome of several rounds of discussions through diplomatic and military channels over the past few weeks. The two sides will now take the “next steps on this,” he said.
Subsequently, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar confirmed that the two sides have reverted to the situation that existed along the LAC – the 3,500-kilometer (around 2,100-mile) frontier between the two countries – in 2020, when clashes between their troops resulted in 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers being killed.
The disengagement process with China has now “been completed,” Jaishankar said, adding that the “understanding” was reached “only today.” “We have always said that if you disturb the peace and tranquility, how can the rest of the relationship go forward?” he remarked.
The minister highlighted that the recent agreement was a positive development and a result of patience and persistent diplomacy, especially at times when many had given up. This mutual understanding on patrolling will help to regain the peace and tranquility of the pre-2020 border areas, he said. “Hopefully, we will be able to return to that peace and tranquility.” There was no immediate confirmation from Beijing on the development.
Ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors have been strained since the 2020 clashes, impacting both diplomatic and economic engagement, with New Delhi restricting Chinese investments in India. Since then, the two countries have held over 30 rounds of talks aimed at de-escalation.
In September this year, Jaishankar signaled that “up to 75% of the disengagement issues” have been resolved between the two neighbors, with the remaining issues revolving around patrolling and the deployment of personnel and weapons along the border. Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi noted earlier in October that although the situation at the border appears “stable” at present, it is “not normal.” He added, however, that “positive signals” are emerging from diplomatic talks, noting that execution on the ground depends on the military commanders of the two countries.