‘Working to restore trust,’ Indian Army chief on LAC deal with China

The Indian Army chief said Tuesday (Oct 22) they were looking at disengagement and de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between India and China. General Upendra Dwivedi, while speaking at the United Service Institution of India (USI) in New Delhi, said two nations were now working to restore the trust.

“We want to go back to the status quo of April 2020. Thereafter, we will be looking at disengagement, de-escalation, and normal management of LAC… This has been our stand since April 2020.” General Dwivedi said.

“As of now, we are trying to restore the trust. That will happen once we are able to see each other and we are able to convince and reassure each other that we are not creeping into buffer zones that have been created…,” he added.

His comments came a day after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistri announced Monday (Oct 21) that India and China had agreed on an arrangement for patrolling areas along the LAC. The areas include Depsang Plains and Demchok, friction points that remained unresolved.

General Dwivedi’s statement came as PM Narendra Modi is travelling to Russia’s Kazan for the BRICS summit. Modi is also expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping there.

China on Tuesday also confirmed that the two Asian giants had reached an agreement to end the border crisis.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “China and India have maintained close communication through diplomatic and military channels regarding border-related issues. Currently, the two sides have reached a solution on the relevant matters, which China views positively.”

“In the next phase, China will work with India to effectively implement the solution plan, Lin Jian added.

It must be noted that the Indian Army had mobilised its troops along the LAC following the 2020 bloody clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. India saw the deployment of over 68,000 troops, 90 tanks, 330 Infantry Combat Vehicles, and other artillery to forward positions over the last four years.

(With inputs from agencies)