In a development of immense significance for global geostrategy that underlined the fact that India and China’s perceived acrimony is not beyond repair, the two Asian giants have finally resolved their differences over the remaining two points of dispute at Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh.
“As a result of discussions that have taken place over the past several weeks, Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other in a variety of forums and, as a result of these discussions, an agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border area, leading to disengagement and a resolution of issues that had risen in these areas in 2020,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during a press briefing on Monday.
Misri said the agreement related to patrolling arrangements at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
ALSO READ: India, China agree to fast-track disengagement process in Ladakh after Ajit Doval- Wang Yi talks
Confirming that the understanding was reached only on Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, “We reached an agreement on patrolling and with that the disengagement that we have gone back to where the situation was in 2020 and we can say with that the disengagement process with China has been completed.”
“I think it is a good development; it is a positive development and I would say it is a product of very patient and very persevering diplomacy. At various points of time people almost gave up, you can say… what it does is, it creates a basis that the peace and tranquility, which should be in the border areas, which was there before 2020; hopefully we will be able to come back to that.
The development has taken place more than four years after the brutal clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers that resulted in the deaths of more than 20 soldiers on both sides.
For India, the biggest benefit from the resolution is that it would prevent the LAC-LoC triangulation that may have resulted in India having to face a fiery and live border with both Pakistan and China.
What is very significant is the timing of the thaw, coming just a day before the BRICS summit is to be held at a summit in Kazan, Russia on October 22 to 24.
It may yet be a signal that the group of emerging-market powers—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—may well be a veritable force to deal with for the US-led West in the coming days even as at least a dozen countries have expressed inclination to join the grouping. Besides Saudi Arabia, the new entrants are likely to be Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt.
The development also considerably eases pressure on India which has been facing immense pressure from the ‘Five Eyes’ countries, led by Canada, over allegations of extra-judicial assassinations on foreign soil.
In geostrategic terms, the easing of strain on the border could well lead to an upswing in India-China ties which means that the US-led West would need India more than India needs the West.
Many rounds of talks between India and China had yielded effective disengagement in five of the seven friction areas with only two remaining friction areas—Demchok and Depsang.
The first standoff was resolved in Galwan in July 2020, Pangong Tso and Kailash ranges in February 2021, Gogra in August 2021 and PP 15 in September 2022.
The intense India-China military face-off had resulted in both the countries deploying more than 1,30,000 soldiers on the borders braving inhospitable terrain and extreme weather conditions in oxygen-depleted environs causing huge strains on the economies.
A military establishment source had told THE WEEK that after the Galwan incident of May 15, 2020, the Indian Air Force had flown in about 68,000 Indian troops, about 90 tanks, nearly 330 BMP infantry combat vehicles, radar systems, artillery guns and other equipment to be deployed in the difficult border.