Why is it in the news?

• On October 21, Indian Foreign Secretary announced a new agreement with China on “patrolling arrangements” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to address “disengagement and resolution of issues” from the 2020 standoff.
• Disengagement activities are ongoing in Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh, where both armies are dismantling temporary structures set up since April 2020. This process, expected to conclude by October 29, will allow patrolling to resume in a coordinated manner to avoid future confrontations.

Details of the Agreement

• The agreement followed high-level political, diplomatic, and military discussions, leading to a detailed framework finalized by Corps Commanders on October 21, 2024. This disengagement focuses on Depsang and Demchok, leaving other friction points unchanged where buffer zones were created during 2020-2022.
• Since April 2020, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has fortified positions and stationed significant forces along the 3,488-km LAC, seeking to shift ground realities. While both nations have differing views on the LAC’s exact alignment, they have agreed on maintaining border peace.
• Clashes erupted in May 2020 at Pangong Tso’s north bank, injuring over 70 Indian soldiers after Chinese forces blocked Indian patrols up to Finger 8. Additional clashes at Naku La in north Sikkim on May 9, 2020, led India to counter China’s buildup by deploying troops and equipment.
• Since then, both sides have stationed over 50,000 troops each, along with heavy weaponry and infrastructure developments.

Developments in Arunachal Pradesh

• In Arunachal Pradesh, an understanding was reached to allow Chinese patrols in Yangtse, Tawang, as before, to prevent confrontations. Yangtse, a contested area with recurring transgressions since 2011, saw a clash on December 9, 2022, resulting in injuries on both sides.
• This incident marked the first significant encounter since the Galwan clash of June 2020, where 20 Indian soldiers died. Further, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed Indian troops prevented PLA advancements, with both nations continuing patrols to their claim lines in the Tawang sector since 2006.

Path Forward

• With disengagement completed at five friction points by September 2022, Depsang and Demchok presented more complex challenges. This new agreement aims to facilitate further de-escalation, with revised patrolling norms under discussion to remove buffer zones and resume regular patrols.
• Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi stressed the importance of restoring trust, avoiding buffer zone encroachments, and working toward full normalization, though diplomats and military experts advise caution with buffer zones still within Indian territory.
• The agreement restores access to pre-April 2020 patrolling points (PPs) in Depsang and Demchok, allowing Indian troops to reach PPs 10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13.
• Of 65 designated PPs from Karakoram Pass to Chumur, restrictive patrolling has led to reduced access at 26 PPs, enabling China to establish a presence in these areas—a tactic known as “salami slicing.”
• Depsang holds strategic value due to its proximity to Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), the Darbuk-Skyok-DBO road, and the Karakoram Pass, with broader security implications due to the region’s alignment with China-Pakistan interests.

Patrolling Points and Regional Tensions

• Patrolling Points, based on mutual agreements and aligned with the Limit of Patrolling under the China Study Group guidelines since 1996, play a strategic role.
• The traditional grazing lands of the Changpa (Rebo) community in the Changthang region have also become a friction point, with added restrictions since 2014 sparking some local discontent.
• Following talks between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan, both sides agreed that Special Representatives would soon reconvene to further the boundary resolution process.