Bilateral
Army to resume patrolling along LAC after India-China arrive at an agreement
New Delhi/IBNS: The Indian Army is set to resume patrolling along the Line of Actual Control after India and China arrived at an agreement, media reports said.
The Army is set to resume patrols in key areas of Depsang plains and Demchok.
The Army will also engage in patrolling in eastern Ladakh.
Reports claim the groundwork for the agreement has been going on for more than a year.
Over the last few months, multiple levels of meetings between the two Asian giants took place.
Speaking on the agreement, Vikram Misry, the foreign secretary of India, said as quoted by The Hindu, "Over the last several weeks, Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other in a variety of forums, and as a result of these discussions, agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said as quoted by India Today, "The China-India border situation is generally stable and under control."
Exuding confidence in achieving full resolution, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said 75 percent of the issues in the region of dispute have been addressed.
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, 2020, 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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