India, China end four-year military stand-off with border patrolling agreement

India and China have reached an agreement regarding patrolling their disputed border, effectively bringing an end to a four-year military stand-off, as confirmed by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on October 22.

This breakthrough could pave the way for improved political and economic relations between the two Asian powers, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The announcement comes just ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia for the BRICS summit, scheduled from October 22-24, during which he may engage in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to Indian officials.

"China and India have reached an agreement to resolve their border dispute and will collaborate on implementing solutions," said spokesperson from China’s foreign ministry Lin Jian during a regular press briefing that both countries have maintained close contact through diplomatic and military channels.

Relations between the world’s two most populous nations, both of which are nuclear-armed, have deteriorated since violent clashes in 2020 along the largely undemarcated frontier in the western Himalayas resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

Since then, both countries had refrained from patrolling several border points in the Ladakh region to prevent further confrontations, while amassing significant military resources in the area.

Jaishankar stated at an NDTV media event, “We reached an agreement on patrolling, and with that, we have returned to the situation as it was in 2020, meaning the disengagement process with China has been completed.” He added that the understanding was only finalised on the day of his announcement, emphasising the importance of maintaining peace to foster broader bilateral relations.

Meanwhile, China confirmed on October 22 it had reached a deal with India over their disputed frontier, without elaborating on whether the pact covered the length of the border or just points where the two sides have been involved in a standoff since 2020.

Notably, a deadly confrontation between India and China in 2020 fundamentally altered relations between the two nations. Tensions arising from their rivalry for influence in South Asia and globally have spilled into their border dispute, driving military build-ups and increasing the risk of further conflict.

Since China and India established diplomatic ties in 1950, the significance of the border dispute to their broader relationship fluctuated over time.

The India-China border stretches along the Himalayan range, with the sharpest differences in territorial claims found at either end. In the west, China controls 38,000 square kilometres of land that India also claims, while in the east, India holds 90,000 square kilometres of territory that Beijing insists belongs to China.

The 1962 war, which resulted in the deaths or capture of over 7,000 Indian soldiers, was a decisive victory for China and a sobering defeat for India, leaving a lasting impact on their relations.

Despite high tensions and occasional altercations, the countries made strides toward keeping the peace. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev