India, China begin troops disengagement on friction points, pull back equipment

The disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops has begun at two friction points—Demchok and Depsang Plains—in the Eastern Ladakh sector. According to defence officials, adhering to agreements between both the sides, the Indian troops have started to pull back equipment to rear locations in these areas.
The significant development has come days after both India and China reached a border pact ending a four-year stalemate. The relations between the two countries soured after the deadly clashes between soldiers in June 2020, that left at least 20 Indian and an unknown number of Chinese dead.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said an agreement was reached to allow border patrolling operations in both countries. That means the “disengagement process with China you can say is completed,” and the border situation returns to what it was in 2020, he said.
On Wednesday, October 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia, in their first bilateral meeting in five years.
In the backdrop of national flags of the two countries, Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping shook hands as both stressed the importance of handling their disputes.
Xi Jinping said India and China were at a crucial stage of development and “should carefully handle differences and disagreements and facilitate each other’s pursuit of development aspirations.”
“It’s important for both sides to shoulder our international responsibilities, set an example for boosting the strength and unity of the developing countries, and contribute to promoting multi-polarization and democracy in international relations,” Xi Jinping said.
After the meeting, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “The two leaders affirmed that stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, as two neighbors and the two largest nations on earth, will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.”