India-China India, China reach agreement to resume patrolling along LAC in eastern Ladakh, says top official
New Delhi and Beijing have reached an agreement to resume patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, media reports said.
“As a result of the discussions that have taken place over the last several weeks, an agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border area and this is leading to dis-engagement and eventually a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was quoted as saying by India Today.
The agreement has been reached between the two countries ahead of Indian PM Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Russia for BRICS.
The relationship between India and China touched a new low in 2020 following a heated clash in the Galwan Valley.
Galwan Clash
The Galwan skirmish erupted from a dispute over a temporary bridge built by the Chinese in the Galwan River valley in Ladakh.
On June 15, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a six-hour clash in the rugged terrain of Ladakh, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with makeshift weapons such as stones, batons, and iron rods.
The face-off occurred in near-complete darkness and freezing temperatures, leading to fatalities as soldiers fell or were pushed from ridges.
Twenty Indian soldiers were martyred in the clash, while China officially acknowledged four casualties, although reports indicate higher Chinese losses, as soldiers drowned in the choppy waters of the Galwan River.
Among the Indians, Colonel B Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer of the 16th Bihar Regiment, was martyred during the unprovoked aggression by PLA troops.
The Galwan clashes highlighted China's aggressive stance towards its neighbouring countries.
Many observers on social media noted similarities between the Chinese attack on Philippine navy ships and the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.
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