All attention is on the highly anticipated meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, set for later in the day (Oct 23, 2024) on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. This significant meeting follows a recent agreement between India and China on border patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, signaling progress toward resolving the lingering border standoff.
The discussions are expected to focus on the newly finalized agreement, aiming to restore “peace and tranquillity” along the border, as seen before the tensions escalated in 2020. Both leaders will address the steps forward for ensuring lasting stability in the region.
Agreement on Border Patrolling
At a special briefing in Kazan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed the bilateral meeting, stating, “I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting held between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.” This follows the announcement that both nations have agreed on patrolling arrangements along the disputed border, marking a significant step in de-escalating tensions.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking earlier in the week, described the agreement as a “positive and good” development, adding, “I think it creates a basis… peace and tranquillity, which should be there in the border areas, which was there before 2020, we will be able to come back to that.”
The key aspect of the agreement centers on allowing previously blocked patrols to resume. Jaishankar emphasized the importance of restoring these operations, noting, “We have reached an understanding which will allow the patrolling,” and confirmed that the disengagement process with China had been completed.
Foreign Secretary’s Insights
At the same briefing, Misri elaborated on the agreement, clarifying that it addressed unresolved issues from the past two years. “As far as the disengagement agreements reached previously are concerned, those agreements were not reopened in these discussions. The agreement that was reached yesterday, very early yesterday morning, was focused on issues that had remained outstanding in the last couple of years,” Misri explained.
He further explained that patrolling and grazing arrangements, where applicable, would revert to the conditions seen in 2020. “Regarding the previous agreements, in the recent discussions that have just concluded, we did not reopen the earlier agreements. This discussion was about the pending agreements and the outstanding issues,” Misri added, making clear the limited scope of the new talks.
Future Prospects for India-China Relations
While the resolution of the border issue marks a significant milestone, it is only one step in preventing future confrontations along the LAC. “First, we need to implement the arrangements and agreements on the ground. The analysis of how this happened can be done later,” Misri said, noting the importance of focusing on immediate actions.
Misri acknowledged the need for vigilance in preventing future clashes. “Our hope and effort will be that the arrangements that have been worked out and agreed upon are such that they can prevent the kind of clashes that occurred earlier in some areas near the Line of Actual Control,” he remarked.
Currently, the primary focus remains on disengagement, with broader discussions on de-escalation and troop de-induction expected to follow. “For now, we are focused on disengagement first, and discussions on de-escalation and de-induction will happen at the appropriate time,” Misri concluded.
As Modi and Xi sit down for their discussions, the outcome of this meeting will be closely watched, with hopes that it could lead to further progress in stabilizing the India-China border and avoiding any future confrontations.