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14 Jan, 2025 08:51

India and China need to ‘restore trust’ – army chief

General Upendra Dwivedi described the situation at the contested border as “stable but sensitive” after October’s truce
India and China need to ‘restore trust’ – army chief

Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi has said that a standoff-like situation continues to exist along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an informal ceasefire line between his country and China, despite the two nations agreeing to disengage in October 2024. Speaking at a press conference on Monday in New Delhi, the general stressed that both countries need to “sit together and restore trust.” 

General Dwivedi stated that since the deadly clashes between the two armies commenced in 2020, both sides have modified the terrain, increased troop numbers and stockpiled arms. While they have taken steps to disengage, the situation at the border continues to resemble a standoff, he noted.

“Troop deployment directly depends on the trust factor (between the two armies) and the capabilities have been created on other side. The current capabilities across entails we will need to maintain the troop levels,” General Dwivedi said. 

He added that “for now, during winters, we are not looking at a reduction in troop levels along the line of actual control,” adding that the reassessment could be done ahead of summer.

The Army chief stated that patrolling activities had resumed in Depsang and Demchok areas in Eastern Ladakh, along the LAC, as per the arrangements achieved last year. He highlighted that two rounds of verification patrols had been conducted so far, and that both sides were satisfied with the process.

New Delhi and Beijing announced reaching an agreement to disengage along the LAC on October 21, a day before the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a significant bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit. 

The two Asian neighbors are seeking rapprochement; the prolonged border standoff has significantly strained diplomatic and economic ties. India has implemented several economic measures, including a ban on Chinese mobile apps, tightening scrutiny of Chinese investments, and restrictions on electronics imports.

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