Indian and Chinese troops will exchange sweets on Diwali after a long time following the completion of disengagement process by both the sides at friction points of Depsang plains and Demchok to April 2020 position along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh to end the four-year-long Galwan stand off.

Local commanders of the rank of Brigadier and below from Indian Army and Chinese PLA met at a border personal meeting point along the LAC on Wednesday to workout modalities of mutually agreed patrolling which, Army sources earlier had stated, is expected to start from the end of this month.

The events are unfolding as per the schedule mutually agreed during the agreements signed at diplomatic and military levels.

The verification of disengagement of troops of both the armies and makeshift infrastructure like tent and tin-sheds to April 2020 position is going on, said Army sources.

The mapping of the patrolling grid, frequency and strength of armed troops which will take rounds will be mutually documented to avoid face off of April 2020 in Galwan valley that left 20 Indian soldiers dead, said Army sources.

Patrolling will commence soon, said Army sources.

Speaking to journalists in Kolkotta, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said the two countries had reached “many important understandings”.

“There was a very important meeting between President Xi Jinping and PM Narendra Modi (on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last week). Now that the two leaders have reached important understandings, they will be the guidelines for the further development of relations between our two countries. I hope that, under the guidance of this consensus, our relations will be moving forward smoothly in the future and they will not be restricted or interrupted by specific disagreements between our two sides,” Xu Feihong said.

“As two neighbouring countries, it is natural that we have some differences and the most important thing is how to handle and solve them. The meeting of the two leaders has set a very good example for us on how to handle these differences,” the Chinese ambassador added.

On October 21, India had announced breakthrough in border talks leading to resuming of suspended patrolling at Depsang plains and Demchok and the return of troops to the April 2020 position.

A day later, China had also confirmed the disengagement agreements.

However, the negotiations are on to include other border friction issues right from Arunachal Pradesh to Jammu and Kashmir, including to settle buffer zones or no patrolling zones created after the mutually-agreed disengagements at previous five patrolling points (PPs), such as in Hot Springs, Gogra Post, Galwan Valley and Pangon Tso.

The US State Department welcomed the ‘reduction in tensions’ along the India-China border owing to breakthrough to end the standoff in Eastern Ladakh.

“We are closely following the developments and we understand that both countries have taken initial steps to withdraw troops from the friction points along the LAC. We welcome any reduction in tensions along the border,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

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