China and India Withdraw Troops from Disputed Border

Pangong Lake, where the standoff and conflict between the two armies occurred (Wikimedia Commons)

China and India began withdrawing troops from the Pangong Lake area situated along the highly contested Himalayan mountain border on February 10, officials on both sides confirmed. The stalemate had lasted for eight months. 

The standoff between the two nuclear powers began in May last year when both sides deployed troops to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates Indian-controlled Kashmir (Ladakh) from Chinese-controlled Kashmir (Aksai Chin). The conflict peaked in June when a violent clash killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unconfirmed number of Chinese soldiers. Since then, the countries have stationed tens of thousands of troops in the region.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told the Indian parliament on February 11 that after several rounds of talks, the two sides had reached an agreement to pull back troops from Pangong Lake, a glacial region skirting the LAC located 14,000 feet above sea level in the western Himalayas.

“Our sustained talks with China have led to agreement on disengagement on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake," Singh commented.

According to Singh, both sides agreed that soldiers and troops around the lake would return to the positions that they had held before the standoff began while also removing any since-constructed military infrastructure. 

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urged India to strictly follow the accord. “We hope that the Indian side and the Chinese side will act in the same direction, strictly implement the consensus reached by both sides, and ensure the smooth implementation of the disengagement process,” he remarked.

However, despite the agreement to ease the military tension between the countries, India has strengthened ties with the United States, Japan, and Australia. This alliance, known as the  Quad, aims to contain China’s growing regional influence. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance in a February 8 phone call.

Additionally, India has started joint military exercises with the United States, which analysts believe seeks to exert pressure on China through the Quad framework.

Sreeram Chaulia, a dean at the School of International Affairs at O.P. Jindal Global University in India, anticipates that this agreement will not completely ease tensions between the two countries: “India is not complacent and is going to be prepared for further incursions by the Chinese when the snow melts in the high Himalayas in a few months.”