Janice R. Andrews
India and China have made a breakthrough in their ongoing border dispute, reaching an accord on patrolling procedures along their contested Himalayan frontier. This development marks a significant step towards easing tensions that peaked following deadly skirmishes in 2020. On Monday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri revealed the agreement, highlighting its potential to facilitate disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and address long-standing issues that have strained bilateral relations.
The pact is the result of extensive diplomatic and military negotiations between the two nations. It outlines mutually agreed-upon patrolling protocols along the LAC, which delineates Indian and Chinese-controlled areas from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
This announcement precedes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attendance at the BRICS summit in Russia, where talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to take place.
The agreement follows a period of heightened tension, sparked by a violent clash in 2020 that claimed the lives of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. Since then, both sides have refrained from using firearms in the area, adhering to established protocols.
This recent diplomatic achievement is viewed as a critical move towards restoring stability in the region, which has long been a potential flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
