"Trying To Restore Trust": Army Chief On India-China Patrolling Deal

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said the goal is to return military ties with Beijing to pre-April 2020 levels - before violent clashes in Ladakh's Galwan and along the LAC - put both countries on edge.

New Delhi:

The Indian military is "trying to restore trust" in its Chinese counterpart, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said Tuesday afternoon, a day after India and China reached a patrolling agreement along the Line of Actual Control - the de facto border between the two nations.

"This (rebuilding of trust) will happen once we are able to see each other, and convince and reassure each other, that we are not creeping into buffer zones that have been created," the General said.

The Army chief said the goal, at this time, is to return military ties with Beijing to pre-April 2020 levels - before violent clashes in Ladakh's Galwan and along the LAC - put both countries on edge.

"We want to go back to the status quo of April 2020... thereafter we will look at disengagement and de-escalation, and then normal management of the LAC. This has been our stand since April 2020."

"As of now, we are trying to restore that trust," he said.

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Earlier this month General Dwivedi had suggested a deal is imminent, saying certain less critical issues had been addressed and only the more difficult issues needed to be worked out.

On Monday Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed a patrolling agreement, and that both countries were still working on disengagement and resolution of tension that started in May 2020.

The accord follows nearly two dozen rounds of talks between Indian and Chinese military commanders and diplomats, the most recent of which was held on August 29.

It was agreed that restoration of peace and tranquillity, and respect for the LAC are the essential basis for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations.

READ | India To Resume Patrolling In Ladakh After Breakthrough With China

The deal is for patrolling in Depsang and Demchok areas, news agency PTI said.

Depsang is seen as critical for India since it provides access to the airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldie and prevents Chinese troops from threatening vital logistics centres in the area. Demchok, meanwhile is divided in two by the LAC; India controls the western part, which is claimed by China.

The breakthrough came before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia; Mr Modi is in Kazan to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit that starts today.

READ | "Back To 2020...": S Jaishankar To NDTV On India, China Pact

Hours after the announcement External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told NDTV the agreement was the result of "patient and persevering diplomacy". Speaking at NDTV's World Summit, he said, "I think it creates a basis for peace and tranquillity along the border, which was there before 2020..."

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