The LAC agreement, the détentes and the questions

Context: Two weeks after the surprise announcement of an
India-China détente, and a summit on the sidelines of the 16^th BRICS
Summit at Kazan on October 23, 2024 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
Chinese President Xi Jinping sealed the deal, the exchange of sweets between
soldiers of the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the Line
of Actual Control (LAC) indicated that the two sides are willing to put the
bitterness of the past four years behind them. If indeed that is possible, then
the two have much to discuss in terms of restoring peace at the border,
reversing economic restrictions on each other, allowing investment, visas and
direct flights, and boosting trade and other interactions between each other.

Key points

·      
Overview: The agreement was followed by a bilateral meeting
between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping
during the BRICS leaders' summit in Kazan, Russia.

·      
Patrolling
Pact: Significance- The
patrolling agreement is a crucial aspect of the border management deal between
India and China. It is central to maintaining stability and order along the disputed
areas of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Patrolling Dynamics on the India-China Border- Patrolling is vital in the India-China border
management system due to the absence of a clear physical demarcation on the
ground. Indian troops regularly patrol up to the Indian-perceived border and
then return to their base. During these patrols, soldiers leave behind
indicators of their presence, such as Indian-made items like cigarette packets
or matchboxes.

Article 4 of the 2005 Border Pact - The 2005 border agreement, particularly Article 4,
provides guidelines for handling face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops.

·      
Contrasting
Views on the Impact of the Border Dispute: India has reiterated that the border standoff must be resolved before
normalizing bilateral ties, indicating no "business as usual" until
then. In contrast, China maintains that the border issue should not affect
broader relations, suggesting it prefers a compartmentalized approach.

·      
Planned
Steps for Resolving the Border Dispute: Indian side mentioned that Special Representatives would soon meet to
seek a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary
question. Meanwhile, China's statement suggested future talks at multiple
diplomatic levels to restore relations to sound and steady development.

·      
Conclusion: There is cautious optimism in India about the path
forward, acknowledging that the border agreement has initiated a trust-building
process. The three-step process—disengagement, de-escalation, and
de-induction—is expected to take at least a couple of years to complete if both
sides adhere to the agreement. It remains unclear whether these steps will
occur in parallel or sequentially.