Photo by Lucas George Wendt
China has confirmed that it has come to an agreement with India concerning their disputed border in the Himalayan area, following New Delhi’s announcement of a deal with Beijing for military patrols along the frontier just a day earlier. Nevertheless, the announcement made on Tuesday did not specify whether the agreement encompasses the full length of the border or is limited to particular locations where the two nations have faced standoffs since 2020.
The relationship between the two most populous nations in the world, both possessing nuclear capabilities, has been tense since a confrontation four years ago in the Ladakh region of the western Himalayas. This incident resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers.
Since the 2020 incident, both sides have withdrawn tens of thousands of military personnel and have agreed to refrain from patrolling a narrow strip around the Line of Actual Control. This unofficial line extends about 3,488 kilometers (2,167 miles) through the Himalayas, with China asserting a significantly shorter claim.
The line separates the territories under Chinese and Indian control, running from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east, a region that China claims entirely, considering it an integral part of Tibet.
During a news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that China and India have been engaging in ongoing communication through both diplomatic and military channels regarding matters concerning the China-India border.
The deal’s announcement aligns with the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, which focuses on significant developing economies. Indian media has reported the possibility of discussions between Modi and Xi during the summit. However, Lin, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, did not confirm any such meeting, indicating that China would share relevant information “in due course.”
