India and China Establish New Protocols for LAC Disengagement
Last month, the Chinese Defence Ministry stated that China and India were able to ‘narrow their differences’ and reach ‘some consensus’ on disengaging troops from areas of friction.
Four and a half years after the standoff between India and China, both nations have agreed on disengagement along the border, where 50,000 to 60,000 troops are stationed on either side, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday.
Misri explained that Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have remained in close contact through various forums. As a result of these discussions, he stated, “An agreement has been reached on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and resolving the issues that arose in 2020. We will now take the next steps in this process.”
Last month, the Chinese Defence Ministry reported that China and India had been able to “reduce differences” and establish “some consensus” on disengaging troops from friction points in Eastern Ladakh to end the standoff. Both sides also agreed to continue dialogue to reach a mutually acceptable resolution at an “early date.” Li Jinsong, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, had met with Indian Ambassador to China, Pradeep Kumar Rawat.
The Chinese Defence Ministry’s statement and the meeting with the Indian envoy came on the same day The Indian Express reported on September 26 that India and China were understood to have made “significant progress” in narrowing the gap on unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. According to The Indian Express, this included exploring the framework for a potential solution that considers their respective pre-April 2020 positions while agreeing to address ongoing issues in Arunachal Pradesh.
Sources had indicated that this might mean Indian troops, whose access to certain patrolling points along the LAC had been blocked either by Chinese forces or through the establishment of buffer zones during disengagement at specific friction points, could soon regain access.
Currently, troops along the LAC remain on high alert, officials said, but both sides are avoiding any confrontations that could create mistrust and delay redeployment plans. As a confidence-building measure, local commanders from both sides have been holding meetings on the ground to prevent clashes.
Friction points such as the Galwan Valley, the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, and the Gogra-Hot Springs area have seen some resolution through the creation of buffer zones. However, legacy issues at the Depsang Plains and Demchok persist, with troops at Depsang Plains still blocked from accessing patrol points.
On September 12, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that about 75 percent of the “disengagement issues” with China have been “resolved,” but noted that the “bigger concern” is the increasing militarization along the border. Following this, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that troops have disengaged at four locations in Eastern Ladakh, including the Galwan Valley, and that the situation along the border remains stable.