India and China have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements aimed at reducing tensions along their disputed Himalayan border, which has seen deadly clashes in recent years. Vikram Misri, India’s top diplomat, announced on Monday that the two sides have committed to “disengagement and resolution of issues in these border areas that arose in 2020.”
This statement references the Galwan Valley clashes, the first fatal confrontation between the two nations since 1975, resulting in casualties on both sides. The relationship between India and China has been strained since that incident.
Misri stated, “An 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 that had arisen in these areas in 2020.” However, he did not provide specific details regarding the disengagement process or whether it would address all points of conflict along the disputed border.
This announcement comes just a day before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia for a meeting of the Brics nations, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Misri did not confirm whether a bilateral meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping is planned.
The announcement marks a significant development between the two nuclear-armed nations since the Galwan clashes, during which troops fought with clubs and sticks due to a 1996 agreement prohibiting the use of firearms and explosives near the border. Despite several rounds of talks between diplomats and military leaders over the past four years, a major breakthrough had not been achieved.
Tensions flared again in the northern Sikkim area in 2021 and the Tawang sector in 2022. The root of the conflict lies in a poorly defined, 3,440 km (2,100-mile) long disputed border, where rivers, lakes, and snowcaps often shift, bringing soldiers face to face and leading to confrontations. The competition between the two nations to build infrastructure along the border has further exacerbated tensions, impacting their business relations.