Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday that Indian forces would de-escalate from China in Ladakh only when the conditions along the Line of Actual Control revert to the “status quo of April 2020.” This comes a week after New Delhi announced an agreement for disengagement in Eastern Ladakh, marking the end of over four years of tensions.
Gen Dwivedi said there must be a restoration of confidence with the Chinese side accused of aggressive action leading to LAC instability. “We aim to go back to the April 2020 status quo. After that, disengagement, de-escalation, and actual management of the LAC will happen. This is what we have been saying since April 2020. Now we are trying to rebuild trust, and for this, each other needs to be convinced that the created buffer zones are being respected, he explained.
New Delhi indicated that the normalization of ties with Beijing depends on restoring the situation at the de facto border to the pre-May 2020 state.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed on Monday that the discussions between India and China resulted in an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the LAC. “Discussions have been held with the Chinese counterparts through the WMCC and military levels. In the past, these talks have resulted in the resolution of stand-offs at many locations. Most recently, an agreement has been reached concerning patrolling arrangements which would enable disengagement and de-escalation of friction areas that had come up in 2020,” he said.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar felt the situation along the LAC had reverted to its previous state before May 2020, a hint that things are getting back to normal in the region.
