The long-standing border dispute between India and China in Eastern Ladakh, ongoing since 2022, has finally come to an end. Ahead of the BRICS summit, China has agreed to a ‘Patrolling Agreement.’ On Tuesday, China confirmed that it has reached an agreement with India to resolve the standoff between the two armies in Eastern Ladakh.
Agreement Reached Between the Two Countries
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, during a media briefing, stated, “Recently, China and India have held several rounds of discussions through diplomatic and military channels regarding issues related to the China-India border.” He further added, “Both sides have now reached a resolution on the relevant matters that China has been actively discussing.” However, China refrained from providing further details on the agreement.
Indian Army’s Statement on the Agreement
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi shared insights on the agreement, stating, “We want to revert to the status quo of April 2020. After this, we will consider disengagement, de-escalation, and normal management along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This has been our stance since April 2020.” He further added that trust-building efforts are ongoing. “Trust will be restored when both sides can observe each other and ensure that there is no infiltration in the buffer zones created.”
Possible Meeting Between PM Modi and Xi Jinping
The BRICS summit is scheduled to take place in Kazan, Russia, from October 22 to 23. It is speculated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping may meet during this event. While there is no official confirmation of a bilateral meeting, discussions on resolving the border dispute are anticipated.
