After India, now China has also confirmed to have reached a border dispute settlement agreement with India. China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a media briefing that both sides have reached a resolution and it will continue to work with New Delhi on the issue. “We have resolved the relevant matter, will work with the Indian side to implement the solution. We are in close communication through diplomatic and military channels,” said Jian.
On October 21, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India has reached an agreement with China regarding patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The announcement came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kazan, Russia, for the 16th BRICS summit that begins today and is scheduled to run till October 24.
“This agreement is the outcome of extensive discussions over the past several weeks with Chinese interlocutors at both diplomatic and military levels,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. He noted that military commanders have been involved in negotiations aimed at addressing the 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. “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 said.
The agreement marks a crucial step in stabilizing relations between India and China as both nations work to manage their border disputes and avoid further military confrontations. In early May 2020, troops from China’s People’s Liberation Army and the Indian Army clashed at locations along the LAC, the disputed boundary between China and India. The situation escalated on June 15-16, 2020, resulting in casualties on both sides. (With agency inputs)