India-China relations have taken on a new dimension with their ability to resolve disputes in eastern Ladakh. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced on Monday that weeks of discussions between the two sides have resulted in an agreement under which both Indian and Chinese military forces will be able to patrol in Ladakh as they did in June 2020. It was in that month that Chinese troops intruded into Indian territory, prompting a swift and deterrent response that led to the deaths of dozens of soldiers on both sides. This disengagement has occurred in the Galwan Valley, where the fierce clash took place, as well as in the Pangong Lake, Hot Springs, and Gogra regions of eastern Ladakh. It is unclear whether such patrolling will be possible in Depsang and Demchok. The urgency for the agreement stems from the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet.
While a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman has concurred with Jaishankar’s statement, neither side has revealed any details about the agreement. What is incontrovertible is that the prolonged standoff has had a disastrous effect on bilateral relations since the India-China war of 1962. The Galwan Valley clash and other developments indicate that India in 2024 is far stronger and more capable of defending itself than when it was treacherously attacked and Chinese troops entered India with ease. While India has been negotiating with China over the past four years, it has also been fortifying its position in Ladakh and other contentious areas along the 3,500 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC). In other words, India has been negotiating from a position of parity, if not strength, which has led to this disengagement.
India and China are not just neighbours; they are also the world’s most populous nations. In terms of economic growth, India can certainly take its cue from China. In fact, they can complement each other. Resolving all border-related disputes, talks on which have been progressing at a snail’s pace, is a prelude to stronger relations. The two sides have shown in the past that such differences are not a deterrent to strong economic ties and people-to-people contacts. Mandarin, not French, German, or Spanish, is the language young people in India want to learn. The sky is not even the limit for how high India and China can take their economic relations.
