India and China Complete Military Disengagement in Eastern Ladakh: Jaishankar

India and China have successfully completed military disengagement in eastern Ladakh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed on Monday. Speaking at an event organized by NDTV, Jaishankar’s statement followed an earlier announcement by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, indicating a breakthrough in the longstanding border stand-off.

Agreement Reached After Extensive Discussions

During the event, Jaishankar said, “What the Foreign Secretary has said, I can also say… We have reached an agreement… Disengagements with China have been completed.” He further noted that Indian and Chinese troops would resume normal patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), restoring the situation to pre-May 2020 conditions when tensions escalated.

Foreign Secretary Misri explained that this agreement is a result of weeks of diplomatic and military discussions. “Indian and Chinese negotiators have been in close contact,” Misri said, underscoring that the agreement aims to resolve the border issues that surfaced in 2020.

Origins of the Stand-Off

The stand-off, which began in May 2020, saw Chinese troops crossing the LAC, leading to violent confrontations, including the deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, where 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives. The incident severely strained relations between the two nations.

While Jaishankar and Misri have confirmed the disengagement, further details about the process remain undisclosed. Disengagement refers to the withdrawal of troops from friction points, while de-escalation involves the removal of heavy military assets such as tanks and artillery.

The latest round of disengagement follows previous withdrawals from critical areas like Pangong Tso and the Galwan Valley in 2022. Jaishankar’s announcement comes after a series of high-level meetings, including discussions between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and two rounds of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC).

The announcement coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the BRICS Summit in Russia, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is also present. Speculation suggests that a resolution of the Ladakh dispute could potentially facilitate a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the summit.