Progress in India-China Disengagement Along the LAC: The disengagement process between Indian and Chinese troops in the strategically significant areas of Depsang and Demchok is nearing completion, as confirmed by Defence officials.
Both armies are currently verifying the vacating of positions and the removal of infrastructure in these regions, said an ANI report quoting Defence personnel.
After the disengagement process is completely over, coordinated patrolling will commence. According to media reports, the patrolling will likely commence today, October 30.
Once the disengagement is fully accomplished, coordinated patrolling is expected to commence. India is focused on resolving this long-standing border dispute to restore the situation to what it was before April 2020, prior to the onset of Chinese military aggression.
On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry corroborated that the frontier troops of both nations are actively engaged in "relevant work" in line with their agreement on border issues. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated, “In accordance with the recent resolutions on border issues, the Chinese and Indian frontier troops are engaged in relevant work, progressing smoothly at present.”
This progress follows an agreement announced by India on October 21 regarding patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, effectively ending a military standoff that has lasted over four years. The agreement was underscored by a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Russia, where both leaders welcomed the new patrolling arrangements.
The border standoff, which ignited in 2020 due to Chinese military actions in eastern Ladakh, has led to prolonged tensions between the two nations. However, the recent developments indicate a potential thaw in relations as both countries work towards stability along their contested border.
The US State Department has welcomed the "reduction in tensions" along the India-China border following the recent disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that Washington is closely monitoring the situation.
"We are closely following the developments and we understand that both countries have taken initial steps to withdraw troops from the friction points along the LAC. We welcome any reduction in tensions along the border," Miller said during a daily press briefing. He added, "We have talked to our Indian partners and taken a brief on it, but we did not play any role in this resolution."
