India-China Disengagement along the LAC
Context
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to resolve the boundary issue between the two nations. China confirmed for the agreement to resolve their four-year military standoff.
Relevance:
GS-02 (International Relations)
Dimensions of the Article:
- What is the Issue About?
- Recent Developments:
- Significance for India
- Way Forward
What is the Issue About?
- The frequent transgression between India and China in 2020, especially along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) triggering a military standoff with India and then the violent clash in Galwan Valley had created a huge rift between the two nations.
- However, the recent agreement by China confirmed that the troops would be restored to pre-2020 levels, which has given a sign of relief to India.
- The news comes just ahead of the BRICS summit that there could be a formal engagement between India and China after years of strained relations.
Recent Developments:
- Both the countries agreed to disengage their troops along the LAC, especially from the major points like – the Galwan valley, Pangong Tso, and Gogra-Hot Springs, excluding Demchok and Depsang, which still remain unresolved.
- The positive step towards disengaging the Chinese troops came after a meeting between India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi convened, on the sidelines of the meeting of BRICS NSAs in St Petersburg, Russia.
- For the very first time the use of an expression- “narrow down the differences” was made, indicating an optimistic move for the disengagement.
Significance for India
- Bilateral Ties: It can improve bilateral ties that had been frozen since 2020. Trades in sectors such as investment, travel, and people-to-people exchanges can be enhanced.
- Patrolling Rights: It restores patrolling rights for India in the region enabling the local villagers access the Eastern Ladakh region, which in a way is a crucial victory for the country.
Way Forward
- India must ensure full transparency in the disengagement process.
- India and China must reassess the existing frameworks of their border agreements, such as the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement and the 2013 Border Defence Cooperation Agreement, and decide whether a new strategy is needed to prevent future tensions along the border.
- Proceeding with caution and learning from the past will be crucial to ensuring long-term peace and stability.