India-China Agreement

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The agreement between India and China to resolve the military standoff opens new prospects for bilateral relations, but caution is advised.

China has confirmed its agreement with India to resolve the four-year military standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a positive development following tensions since April 2020. This period, marked by transgressions, clashes, and mistrust, notably the 2020 Galwan clash where 20 Indian soldiers were killed, had severely strained ties. While Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed China's agreement to restore troops to pre-2020 levels, concerns linger about the real ground situation, with doubts over China’s full disengagement. The agreement comes ahead of the BRICS Summit in Russia, potentially allowing for a formal interaction between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi. Although economic ties, particularly trade, remained strong, other relations, including investments and travel, suffered since 2020. Caution is urged to avoid premature declarations of success, as lessons from past confrontations, like the 2017 Doklam standoff, show the importance of verifying facts on the ground. The next steps will require transparency, and there may be a need to reevaluate previous agreements, such as the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement and the 2013 Border Defence Cooperation Agreement, to manage future disputes.