NEW DELHI: China on Tuesday confirmed that it has reached an agreement with India to end standoff between the two armies in eastern Ladakh. This statement follows New Delhi’s announcement of a military patrol agreement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
China foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press briefing,”We have reached a resolution on the relevant matter, will work with the Indian side to implement the solution.We are in close communication through diplomatic and military channels.”
“Currently, the two sides have reached a resolution on the relevant issues. China gives its positive approval to this,” Lin said. “In the next stage, we will properly implement that resolution with the Indian side.”
India made a similar statement on Monday, with its top foreign ministry official, Vikram Misri, announcing that an ‘agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control.’
The neighbours have had longstanding disputes over their 3,500-kilometer border. Tensions escalated after a 2020 border skirmish that resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
Earlier today, chief of army staff general Upendra Dwivedi said that restoring trust along the LAC would be a gradual process, to return to the April 2020 status quo. “We are working to rebuild trust, and restoring that trust will take time,” he said, highlighting the steps of disengagement, de-escalation, and buffer zone management as crucial for easing tensions between the two nations.
He further explained that the process will take place in phases, with each step aimed at reducing tensions. “This normal management of the LAC will not just stop there. There are phases in that as well,” the COAS said.