India and China Agree to Disengage from Disputed Border, Ending Months-Long Skirmish

A map of the disputed region of Kashmir. The border of Aksai Chin, the region claimed by India but controlled by China, is where the recent standoffs happened (Wikimedia Commons).

The Indian and Chinese foreign ministries agreed to disengage their troops from the disputed border along the Himalaya Mountains on September 11, ending a months-long standoff.  

“The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side,” read the joint statement. “They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions.”

The statement further read that “both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs” and “avoid any action that could escalate matters.” 

The two ministers, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, had met on September 10 during a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ conference in Moscow, where they were able to construct  the current proposal.  

The northeast region of Kashmir, an area of strategic interest for both states, has been a hotbed of tension between the world’s two most populous states for many decades. In 1962, China went to war with India and won, gaining de facto control over the inhospitable region known as Aksai Chin. India still claims ownership of the territory, and the current border runs across the so-called Line of Actual Control (LAC) between Aksai Chin and the Indian state of Ladakh.  

Both countries have been competing to build military infrastructure along the LAC, and observers say that India’s construction of a new road to a high-altitude airbase is the source of  the current round of tensions. The skirmishes began on May 5 with a series of aggressive standoffs along the LAC. Then, a clash in June led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese casualties, the first deadly altercation in the region in 45 years. Following the conflict, India banned more than dozens of Chinese apps, citing security concerns.

Since June, the situation at the LAC has been unfolding in a back-and-forth manner.  In August, India accused China of provoking military tension at the border twice in one week, while in early September, China accused India of firing shots at its troops. If true, the latter incident would have been a violation of a 1996 agreement that prohibited the use of guns and explosives near the border.

The recent incidents are only the latest in a long history of tension in the area. Although it is unclear how long the current disengagement might last, there is no doubt that people on both sides desire peace for the time being. 

“The Ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” the joint statement concluded.