India and PRC Begin Pullback from Disputed Border
On Thurs., China and India announced that their troops have begun to “disengage in a coordinated and planned way” from patrolling ‘Post-15’ in the Gogra-Hotspring area of eastern Ladakh.
Facts
- On Thurs., China and India announced that their troops have begun to “disengage in a coordinated and planned way” from patrolling ‘Post-15’ in the Gogra-Hotspring area of eastern Ladakh.
- The retreat from the area known in China as ‘Jianan Daban’ was agreed upon in the 16th round of Corps Commander-level military meetings in July between the two nations. Completion of the withdrawal is expected by Sept. 12.
- Tensions between the two nuclear powers, who fought a major war in 1962, escalated in 2019 after India unilaterally revoked Kashmir’s special status and China stationed troops along its border with Ladakh.
- Talks to cool tensions have been carried out since June 2020 after hand-to-hand skirmishes claimed the lives of 20 Indian and four Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley, marking the first combat losses in this region in more than 40 years.
- Following these clashes, both countries have deployed tens of thousands of soldiers backed by artillery, tanks, and combat jets along the frontier, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
- The ongoing disengagement comes as China’s Pres. Xi Jinping and India’s PM Narendra Modi — who haven’t met in person since the 2020 deadly clash — are set to meet at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan next week.
Sources: The Hindu, DW, New York Times, Al Jazeera, and The Guardian.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Global Times. Working through these issues can help forge a strong and dynamic relationship between these two Asian powers. On the world stage, the mutual withdrawal also showcases Beijing’s ability to broker a positive environment for resolving conflicts in the region.
- Narrative B, as provided by Tribune India. This process is going to be long and complex. While it’s a much-needed step toward achieving a peaceful solution to this tense border standoff, many steps remain. Both the PRC and India must continue to comply with the terms of the agreement and focus on any issues that result. The devil will be in the details.
