Editorial | Xi-Modi handshake is a welcome sign of a warming relationship
Resolution of dispute that sparked a border skirmish and talks between the leaders of China and India bring hopes of a lasting reset of ties
China and India have been at loggerheads in the four years since a bloody clash between their militaries at their disputed Himalayan border.
The June 2020 skirmish killed four Chinese and 20 Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley and sent diplomatic, military and economic ties into a tailspin.
Beijing and New Delhi embarked on years of talks to resolve the dispute. With the sudden resolution of the dispute and a handshake between leaders, relations appear to be back on track. It is a welcome turn of events.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, a former ambassador to China, announced on Monday that the two countries had agreed on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control between eastern Ladahk territory, controlled by India, and the Chinese- administered Aksai Chin region claimed by New Delhi.
The loosely defined 3,800km (2,400-mile) line has served as a rough ceasefire line and de facto border since their brief but bloody 1962 war.
Misri said the agreement meant resolution of the issues stemming from the 2020 fighting, which led both sides to strengthen their military presence along the border and triggered curbs on Chinese investment in India.
