National: Days after a breakthrough in India-China relations, Indian Army patrolling resumed in the Demchok sector in Eastern Ladakh on Friday, ANI reported citing its sources. According to the report, the patrolling in the Depsang sector will start soon. The process follows the agreement between the two countries on patrolling and disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, a major breakthrough to end the over four-year standoff, bringing a fresh thaw in their frosty ties.

The move marks a significant development in the pursuit of reduced tension along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

India-China border agreement

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on October 21 said in Delhi that the agreement was finalised following negotiations over the past several weeks and that it would lead to a resolution of the issues that arose in 2020.

Subsequently, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the agreement on October 22, saying that “the two sides have reached resolutions on relevant matters, which China speaks highly of. This enabled a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia's Kazan city where both leaders attended the BRICS Summit.

PM Modi-Xi Jinping bilateral talks

The Chinese side qualified the PM Modi-Xi talks, the first formal one between the two leaders in the past five years, had reached important understandings and set guidelines for the further development of relations between the two nations. Chinese envoy to India said both the leaders reached important common understandings on improving and developing Sino-India relations and set the course to steer bilateral ties back on the path of steady development.

However, China released fewer details except acknowledging that the process of disengagement is going on smoothly. 

What did the Chinese military say about disengagement?

Commenting for the first time after the October 21 agreement to disengage the troops on Thursday, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, told a media briefing that "China and India have reached resolutions on the issues concerning the border areas through diplomatic and military channels".

"The frontline troops of the two militaries are making progress in implementing resolutions in an orderly manner," he said, reiterating the foreign ministry's comments on Wednesday. He, however, declined to comment on the reports that the Indian and Chinese troops have completed disengagement at two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh and patrolling is set to commence soon at these points.

"On this question, I have no more information to offer," Col Zhang said.

Earlier on Thursday, Indian troops exchanged sweets with Chinese soldiers on the occasion of Diwali-- after a gap of nearly four years. The traditional practice was observed a day after both countries completed troop disengagement at the two friction points, bringing a fresh thaw in Sino-Indian ties.