BRICS Summit Prelude: India and China move to defuse border tensions

India recently announced an agreement had been reached with China on the issue of border patrol. This development comes ahead of the forthcoming BRICS summit, raising hopes that the two neighbouring countries might ease tensions from their four-year military standoff and work towards improving relations.

On Monday (October 21), Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri informed reporters that India and China had reached an agreement on patrolling along the line-of-actual control (LAC), which delineates the border area between the two countries. The two countries follow this unofficial LAC, which separates India-controlled eastern Ladakh from China-controlled Aksai Chin, as a temporary ceasefire line, established after a brief border war in 1962. Media reports say the agreement focuses on patrolling arrangements in the tense areas of Depsang and Demchok.

Misri told the Press that several weeks of discussions with China had revealed a way forward on patrolling modalities along the LAC. This agreement is paving the way for troops to pull back, helping ease tensions and work towards resolving the issues that emerged in these areas back in 2020. According to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP), Beijing has not yet confirmed the agreement.

India and China share a disputed border that stretches 3,440 km (2,100 miles) and remains poorly defined. Natural features, such as rivers, lakes and snow-covered areas, cause the border to shift at times, bringing soldiers from both sides into direct contact and increasing the chance of conflict. Both countries are also racing to develop infrastructure along the LAC.

The most serious clash occurred on June 15, 2020, in Galwan Valley, where 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese soldiers lost their lives in a brutal fight using non-firearm weapons. One of the main issues that sparked the clash was that India was constructing a new road that would let out onto a high-altitude airbase, which the Chinese looked upon as a provocation.

Since then, both India and China have positioned troops along the frontline, although, at the same time, they have engaged in lengthy discussions through diplomatic channels and military meetings to find a resolution to the conflict. The tensions have impacted economic cooperation and other areas between the two most populous countries in the world. India, in particular, has increased restrictions on Chinese investments.

Misri’s announcement came just a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for the BRICS summit, a gathering of major emerging economies, scheduled to take place from October 22 to 24 in Kazan, Russia. There is a possibility of Modi meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. BRICS was formed in 2009 with Brazil, Russia, India and China as its original members. With the passage of time, it has grown to include South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA)