Will America not be proud of the new system of patrolling on the India-China border? A big thing happened before the BRICS summit

New Delhi: We have always heard that big people have something different. A large gathering of people is taking place at the BRICS summit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be part of this conference. Before this meeting of big people, news like ‘something sweet will happen’ has come. India’s Foreign Secretary Vivek Misri has said that India and China have agreed on joint patrolling of their border Line of Actual Control (LAC). This announcement is really a big development on the dispute that has been going on since 2020. This seems to strengthen the hope that the Modi-Jinping meeting in Kazan city of Russia can also take place on the sidelines of the conference. The question is, how will America view this?

Big initiative between India and China before BRICS conference

There is no doubt that reaching an agreement on patrolling on LAC is a major success because the border dispute between India and China that started in 2020 has taken a very serious form. With the latest agreement, the forces deployed on the border can be withdrawn and tension can be reduced. This agreement is being considered a major step towards restoring peace in the region.

This agreement has come at a time when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to Russia to attend the BRICS summit. During this time he/she is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Although no official announcement has been made regarding the meeting, it is believed that the two leaders will discuss the new arrangement and other diplomatic efforts to resolve the border dispute.

Fierce form of border dispute started from 2020

The India-China border dispute reached its peak in May 2020, when there were clashes between troops of the two countries on the LAC. The most serious confrontation took place in Galwan Valley in June 2020. 20 Indian soldiers and more than 40 Chinese soldiers were killed or seriously injured in this clash. The incident, which took place in the western Himalayan region of Ladakh, was the most serious military confrontation between two nuclear-armed countries in decades. Since then, relations between the two countries have remained tense.

There is no unambiguous delineation of the border between India and China. This has led to several skirmishes in the last few years, but the 2020 Galwan clash pushed both countries to the brink of a major military conflict. The standoff has negatively affected not only their diplomatic ties but also economic ties. Since then, India has tightened scrutiny of Chinese investments and stopped many big projects involving Chinese firms.

India-China talks continued

Since the 2020 clash, several rounds of diplomatic and military talks have taken place between the two countries to calm the situation. This process has been slow as both sides have been trying to secure their strategic interests in the region. However, recent developments indicate a change in the dynamics of these talks.

According to Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the talks have been constructive and have led to ‘arrangements for patrolling along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas’. These patrolling arrangements are expected to lead to withdrawal of military forces and solution to many problems that have been going on since 2020. The new agreement reportedly pertains to patrolling in the Depsang and Demchok areas, two major points of tension along the LAC. The talks also focus on restoring the status quo on the border to the pre-April 2020 status quo, which is a key demand from India.

Will keep an eye on many other issues

Despite progress, there are still many unresolved issues that need to be addressed. Even before the situation could completely return to normal, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said earlier this month that while the ‘easier’ issues had been resolved, more difficult situations still remained. These unresolved areas, particularly in the Depsang plains and parts of eastern Ladakh, remain a challenge for full withdrawal.

Depsang in particular remains a disputed area where Chinese forces are believed to be entrenched in significant areas of territory claimed by India. While troops from both sides had disengaged from the Gogra-Hot Springs area in September 2022, resolving the standoff in Depsang has been more challenging due to its strategic importance.

Compromise is fine but caution is also necessary

The latest agreement is a positive step, but great care will have to be taken in implementing it on the ground. Military commanders from both sides will play a key role in ensuring that the withdrawal goes smoothly and tensions do not flare up again. General Dwivedi stressed that the diplomatic signals are positive, but much depends on the steps taken by military commanders in the coming weeks and months.

The recent agreement has wide-ranging implications for India-China relations. The 2020 conflict severely affected diplomatic relations. Both sides accused each other of violating agreements and instigating the situation. Economic relations between the two countries also suffered a setback. India took steps to reduce its economic dependence on China. Following the conflict, controls on Chinese investment were tightened and many Chinese mobile apps were banned.

Will many more issues be resolved now between India and China?

Restoration of peace and normalcy along the LAC is seen as a prerequisite for improving broader bilateral relations. According to reports from the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs, both sides have agreed that respect for the LAC and restoration of peace is necessary for normalization of relations. The fact that the two countries have continued diplomatic dialogue despite slow progress is a positive sign that both are committed to finding a long-term solution to the border dispute.

Both India and China have a vested interest in stabilizing the situation on their common border. For India, restoring peace on the LAC will allow it to focus on other important issues such as its economic development and regional security concerns. For China, resolution of the border dispute will help it avoid further confrontation with a key neighbor at a time when it faces increasing competition from other major powers, especially the US.

America’s reaction will be monitored

America has made continuous efforts to corner India on the charges of murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and conspiracy to murder terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu here. America is not only eyeing India by placing its hand on Canada’s shoulder in the Nijjar murder case but is also continuously trying to put pressure on India in the Pannu case. In such a situation, it will be very interesting to see how India will react to the resolution of its biggest dispute with its arch rival China.