New Delhi: India and China have reached a patrolling agreement along their disputed border in the Himalayas, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced on Monday, saying it can lead to disengagement and resolution of a conflict that began in 2020.
The latest development comes on the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia for a meeting of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, where he could hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines.
India-China ties have been strained since 2020, following deadly clashes on their de facto Himalayan border known as the Line of Actual Control.
Both countries have since deployed thousands of troops to the area and downscaled engagements, while their officials have engaged in multiple talks aiming to resolve the standoff.
“I can share with you that over the last several weeks Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other in a variety of forums,” Misri told a press conference in New Delhi.
“As a result of these discussions, agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020,” he added, without providing more details.
India and China have been unable to agree on their 3,500-km border since they fought a war in 1962.
India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last met in July to try and resolve their border issues.
The specifics of the latest agreement are key to evaluating the most recent developments, said Manoj Kewalramani, a fellow in China studies and chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution.
“If it covers all friction points and the wider boundary, then it is a positive step. Implementation, of course, will be the key. Let’s see how that plays out in the weeks and months ahead,” he told Arab News.
The announcement “clearly indicates” that a meeting between Modi and Xi is likely to take place this week, he added.
India’s Foreign Ministry has yet to confirm plans for bilateral talks on the sideline of BRICS and said it is still “looking into” Modi’s final agenda in Russia.
“They have not had a formal bilateral meeting since October 2019. Ties have worsened significantly since April-May 2020. It is important for both countries to have a broad-based and sustained dialogue process,” Kewalramani said.
“A meeting of the two leaders is important for that, (though) the fundamental nature of the relationship will remain competitive.”
