India-China: Tactical détente, strategic differences
FirstpostA new phase of high-level India-China dialogue has been unlocked following the October 21, 2024, agreement on border patrolling. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, along with both nations’ foreign and defence ministers, have held meetings since then, with the ministers’ talks concluding just last week. Prime Minister Modi’s characterisation of the relationship with China as “important and significant” served as a clear diplomatic signal from the very top level of Indian decision-making. The agreement relates specifically to patrolling arrangements and grazing rights in the remaining two friction points of the standoff in eastern Ladakh where India and China’s militaries are yet to disengage — Depsang and Demchok. The agreement doesn’t extend to the buffer zones already established in other friction points — the Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, and the Gogra-Hot Springs area, where both sides are yet to work out patrolling arrangements — a reminder of the complex patchwork of mechanisms required to manage this challenging border.