This week has been one of the most eventful in recent times in the chronicles of Indian diplomacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping signalled their intent to defuse tensions with their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia. This development has been preceded by South Block announcing that both sides had agreed to patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This indicates an initiative to resolve the tense military stand-off that went on for more than four years after Beijing unilaterally tried to change the status quo along the LAC in 2020 that led to the deaths of both Indian and Chinese soldiers. While this has been met with a rapturous response, particularly in the Indian media, Chinese mandarins have issued a terse reply that having “reached a solution” they would work with Delhi to “implement the plan effectively”. The LAC crisis has also underscored the larger problem that both nations must resolve the issue of the undemarcated border permanently.
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