New Delhi, October 30: India and China have completed the disengagement process in the Depsang and Demchok areas of Eastern Ladakh, marking a significant development in the long-standing border dispute.
Indian Army sources confirmed that both countries are set to begin coordinated patrolling in their designated areas, with ground commanders expected to hold ongoing discussions. As a gesture of goodwill, an exchange of sweets between Indian and Chinese troops is planned for Diwali.
The recent disengagement efforts aim to restore the conditions that existed prior to April 2020, when tensions between the two nations heightened. China’s Foreign Ministry also acknowledged the progress, with spokesperson Lin Jian confirming that both sides' frontier troops are making steady progress under the agreed-upon resolutions.
This development comes after an agreement reached on October 21, effectively ending the military standoff that has persisted for over four years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Russia, where they discussed advancements in managing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
This conversation came shortly after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India announced a new agreement on patrolling arrangements along the LAC, aiming to ease the tensions in this sensitive region.
The LAC standoff, which initially erupted in 2020 due to Chinese military activities in eastern Ladakh, had led to a significant deterioration in India-China relations. The recent understanding on patrolling is viewed as a constructive step toward stabilizing the border area and rebuilding bilateral ties.
