China and India were able to “reduce differences” and reach “some consensus” on withdrawing soldiers from areas of contention, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry last month.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Monday that Beijing and New Delhi have reached an agreement to disengage on the border where 50,000 to 60,000 troops are positioned on both sides, four and a half years after the Indian-Chinese impasse.
Agreement :
“Agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues,” Misri said, citing the close communication between Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators in various forums.
According to the Chinese Defense Ministry, China and India were able to “reduce differences” and reach “some consensus” last month on withdrawing soldiers from areas of contention in order to end the impasse in Eastern Ladakh. They also decided to continue talks in order to reach a mutually agreeable resolution at a “short notice.” Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat had met with Li Jinsong, Director-General of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Asian Affairs.
The discussion with the Indian envoy and the statement from the Chinese Defense Ministry occurred on a day India and China are reportedly making “significant progress” in reducing their differences over outstanding concerns along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, according to a September 26 story in the Indian Express. According to the Indian Express, this involved agreeing to address current problems in Arunachal Pradesh and examining the parameters of a potential solution that takes into account their respective pre-April 2020 situations.
Officials stated that troops stationed along the LAC are still on alert at the moment, but they are avoiding any conflict that may erode trust and cause redeployment plans to be delayed. On the ground, local commanders from both sides have also been gathering to prevent conflicts as a confidence-boosting move.
Buffer zones have helped to reduce friction in areas like the Gogra-Hot Springs region, the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, and the Galwan Valley. Depsang Plains and Demchok still have legacy problems; troops there were unable to reach patrol points.
About 75% of the “disengagement problems” with China have been “sorted out,” according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who stated on September 12 that the “bigger issue” has been the growing militarization of the border. The Chinese Foreign Ministry subsequently declared that the situation along the borders is stable and that the forces have disengaged in four locations in Eastern Ladakh, including the Galwan Valley.