New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday provided insights into the disengagement process between India and China, saying that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has reverted to its pre-May 2020 state.
India has consistently asserted that its relations with China will only return to normalcy once the situation at the LAC is restored to how it was before 2020. Relations between the two nations soured due to China’s aggressive stance at the LAC in April-May 2020.
A violent clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020, resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, with an unspecified number of Chinese casualties also reported. Over the last four years, both countries have engaged in multiple rounds of diplomatic and military discussions.
India-China disengagement complete
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed today that India and China have successfully completed the disengagement process. He said that while certain areas in Ladakh had been inaccessible for patrolling since 2020, both countries have now reached an agreement to resume patrolling in these regions.
According to Jaishankar, the current understanding between the two nations restores the situation to what it was in 2020. The blockages that had prevented both sides from accessing certain areas have now been resolved, paving the way for patrols to recommence.
S Jaishankar described the agreement between India and China as the result of “patient and persevering diplomacy.”
Jaishankar sees ‘positive’ shift in ties
He added that the current understanding allows India to resume the patrolling activities that were in place in 2020, describing it as a positive development. He said that this progress is the result of patient and persistent diplomacy, referring to the negotiations that have been ongoing since his meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow in September 2020. Jaishankar said that this agreement lays the groundwork for restoring peace and tranquility in the border areas, similar to the conditions that existed before 2020.
