India & China Disengage the Troops

It is now official that India and China have agreed on troop disengagement after nearly four years of stand-off in Eastern Ladakh in 2020. It must be remembered that China had raised the military infrastructure in the Depsang area to block the Indian access to five patrolling points on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). As per the information that is emerging after the joint verification process, it seems that the temporary structures have been removed .These structures came up during the 2020 confrontation. It appears from the media reports that the disengagement process in the Depsang and Demchok. This disengagement also includes the dismantling of the structures at the “Y” junction. “Y” junction is a critical access point and there are more points that have been erased. To avoid the future conflicts the two sides will inform to each other about the patrolling details as soon as the patrols are resumed. This is meant to avoid the military confrontation so that while patrolling the two armies are not face to face in the disputed areas, India- China disengagement is hoped to extend to other volatile areas like Arunachal Pradesh and Yangtse. It must be noted that the two armies have clashed in these areas in the past. To celebrate this disengagement there will be exchange of sweets between the sides on the Diwali. Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong has said in a post on “X” that “China-India relations are standing at a new starting point, facing new development opportunities. China stands ready to work with India to lift bilateral economic and trade cooperation to a new height.” Stating the Chinese position on the disengagement he has said, “I hope that under the guidance of this consensus, relations will be moving forward smoothly in the future and not be restricted and interrupted by specific disagreements between the two sides. The most important thing is how to handle the differences.”As per the media reports it is being said that the current agreement is for Depsang and Demchok. This new consensus is important because the Chinese side, until a year ago, showed reluctance to even discuss Depsang Plains and Demchok while it agreed on disengagement at other friction points – PP 14 (Galwan valley), PP 15 (Hot Springs), PP 17A (Gogra), north and south banks of Pangong Tso. This disengagement has broader ramifications not only in terms of peace and territorial integrity but also in terms of emerging geo-political calculus. Chinese newspapers have been indicating the new contours of foreign policy towards India that is a deviation from past rhetoric of overlordship.Influential Chinese newspaper The China Daily has recently underlined in its editorial that “Beijing has on many occasions made it clear that China and India, as good friends and partners, should not let their relations be defined by their border disputes. Rather, the two sides should properly manage their differences and handle them through peaceful consultations and by addressing each other’s concerns”.It did not stop here but went beyond by saying that “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, has expressed the wish that China and India need to “urgently address the prolonged situation” on the borders so that the abnormality in bilateral interactions can be put behind them. All this has paved the way for the two sides to open new prospects in China-India relations by seeking to end the border hostilities and tapping into the full potential of business and investment cooperation”. While commenting on the patrolling agreements,it noted “The agreement that China and India have reached on patrolling arrangements along their disputed border marks a major progress made by the two countries in resolving their four-year military standoff so as to restore peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas”. This important editorial has given an insight into the China’s India policy by making it clear that, “The deal, which will lead to the “disengagement” of the two countries’ troops at the line of actual control, will help transition the border situation into a normalized phase of control and management. It was reportedly reached following close communication between the two sides through diplomatic and military channels over the past few weeks. China views the solution “positively”, and will work with India to implement the pact.”It was quoting the Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian. This marks a new turn in Indo-China relations. Now there is a need to make this agreement workable. India has the past experiences that are not good when it comes to the implementation part with respect to China. The onus lies on China to uphold the bilateral agreement to disengage the troops. Moreover, China knows well that today’s India is resurgent and minces no words when it comes to safeguarding territorial integrity and sovereignty.