China has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with India to end the prolonged military standoff between their forces in eastern Ladakh. In response to queries regarding the reported understanding of border patrols in the disputed region, a Spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian, acknowledged significant progress.
“China and India have maintained close communication through both diplomatic and military channels concerning border-related matters. At present, both sides have reached a solution on key issues, which China regards positively,” Lin said. He added that in the next phase, China will collaborate with India to ensure the effective implementation of the agreement.
The Indian government has announced that both countries have reached an agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), paving the way for disengagement and resolving the tensions that emerged during the 2020 standoff.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday confirmed that a new ‘patrolling arrangement’ has been worked out for troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), with disengagement restoring the situation to its 2020 status. Both sides have agreed to resume patrolling in the Depsang Plains in northern Ladakh and Demchok in the south, up to the established patrolling points along the LAC. This will allow Indian troops to patrol up to points (PP) 10 to 13 in Depsang and the Charding Nullah area in Demchok. Furthermore, mutual agreements have also been reached for the eastern sector, especially in the sensitive regions of Arunachal Pradesh, with further discussions on other eastern sectors will follow soon.
This development came a day before the BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan kicks off, where a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping is scheduled today.
This diplomatic breakthrough is seen as a positive step towards easing tensions in the sensitive region, where both nations have been engaged in a standoff since 2020.
Ravi Shankar
