3 November 2024

How Effective Is The Latest China-India Border Patrol Agreement? – Analysis

Zhou Chao

Indian media has recently reported that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that China and India have reached an agreement on issues concerning border areas. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on October 21 that Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other, reaching the agreement “on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020”.

On the same day, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also stated in an interview with New Delhi Television that the situation along the China-India border has returned to its 2020 status and that both sides have completed the disengagement. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has also confirmed at a regular press conference that the two countries have reached a solution regarding border issues and that China will work with India to implement the agreement.

In response, some commentaries in China pointed out that the achievement of this agreement signifies a major improvement in China-India relations. Relevant analyses suggest that India has a high economic dependence on China, and since 2020, a series of measures targeting Chinese companies and capital have harmed India’s own economic interests. Additionally, India faces various disputes and conflicts with the West on issues such as human rights, and it needs to improve its relationship with China and strengthen cooperation to cope with Western pressure. While these analyses have their merits, their projection of the effectiveness of the latest China-India border patrol agreement may be overly optimistic, as the actual impact of it is likely to be relatively limited.

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