China confirmed on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with India to resolve their border dispute.
During a press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “We have reached a resolution on the relevant matter, will work with the Indian side to implement the solution. We are in close communication through diplomatic and military channels.”
The announcement coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in Kazan, Russia, for the 16th BRICS summit, which begins today and runs until October 24.
On Monday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the agreement, which focuses on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the border area.
“This agreement is the outcome of extensive discussions over the past several weeks with Chinese interlocutors at both diplomatic and military levels,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. He added that military commanders have been actively involved in negotiations aimed at resolving tensions that have persisted since 2020.
Misri explained that the agreement signifies a path toward disengagement and a potential resolution of the issues that arose during the significant confrontations in 2020. He recalled the clashes between the People’s Liberation Army of China and the Indian Army, highlighting the violent encounters in June 2020 that resulted in casualties on both sides. Misri said that this agreement marks a critical step in stabilising relations between India and China as both nations seek to manage their border disputes and prevent further military confrontations.
“On several areas along the Line of Actual Control, we held discussions with Chinese interlocutors both at the diplomatic as well as military levels through meetings with military commanders at various levels. These discussions had in the past resulted in the resolution of standoffs at various locations. There are some locations and areas where stand-offs had not been resolved,” he said.
“Now, as a result of the discussions over the last several weeks, an agreement has been reached on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas. This is leading to disengagement and eventually a resolution of the issues that arose in these areas in 2020,” he added.
Earlier today, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said that restoring trust along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) would be a gradual process in order to return to the April 2020 status quo.
“We are working to rebuild trust, and restoring that trust will take time,” he said, highlighting the steps of disengagement, de-escalation, and buffer zone management as crucial for easing tensions between the two nations.
He further noted that the process will take place in phases, with each step aimed at reducing tensions. “This normal management of the LAC will not just stop there. There are phases in that as well,” the COAS said.
(With input from agencies)