India-China LAC agreement: Beijing confirms eastern Ladakh patrolling pact

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson says China will work with India to ensure implementation of agreed resolutions

A day after India announced that an agreement had been reached with China concerning patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, China on Tuesday confirmed the development, which could lead to New Delhi and Beijing resolving the military standoff in the region.

In recent times, China and India have engaged in close communication through diplomatic and military channels concerning issues along the China-India border, said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during a media briefing in Beijing. News agency PTI reported on the briefing.

Both sides have now reached a resolution on these matters, Lin stated. He added that China would work with India to ensure the implementation of the agreed resolutions.

 

However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson declined to provide further specifics.

Regarding the potential bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Lin commented, "We will keep you updated if anything comes up."

India's Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, disclosed on Monday that an arrangement had been reached between India and China regarding patrolling by both sides along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.

Diplomatic and military discussions have been ongoing since May 2020, when the Chinese military, known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA), made significant incursions into areas traditionally patrolled by the Indian Army.

In the violent clashes that took place between the two forces in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives, while an unknown number of Chinese troops were also killed or wounded.

Relations between New Delhi and Beijing deteriorated sharply after the Galwan Valley clash, resulting in the most intense military confrontation between the two sides in decades.

Since then, both countries have been engaged in negotiations, claiming to have settled disputes over the alignment of the LAC in three key areas: the Galwan Valley, Gogra-Hot Springs, and the Pangong Lake region.

Monday's agreement relates to the Depsang Plains in the north of Ladakh and Demchok in the south, where the PLA still holds Indian territory. These two regions account for the majority of the disputed area.

As such, the border pact could mark a significant breakthrough and contribute to ending the military standoff between the two nations, which has lasted for more than four years.