‘It will take time’: S Jaishankar on India-China disengagement and de-escalation along LAC

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the recent disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops at Depsang and Demchok in Ladakh is the initial step towards restoring normalcy along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The next phase, he said, involves de-escalation, which will proceed only when India is assured that similar steps are taken by China.
“It is obvious it will take time to implement the same. This is the issue of disengagement and patrolling which meant our armies had come very close to each other, and now they have gone back to their bases. We hope the 2020 status is restored,” Jaishankar said, adding that the de-escalation phase would be taken up once India is confident that China is reciprocating similarly.
Earlier this week, India announced an agreement with China regarding patrol protocols along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, marking a significant breakthrough in the four-year-long military standoff. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Jaishankar confirmed that a consensus had been achieved on the disengagement and patrolling protocols in Depsang and Demchok.
Jaishankar further elaborated on this process during an interactive session at an event in Pune and said that both military and diplomatic efforts were instrumental in reaching this stage.

“Since 2020, the situation on the border has been very disturbed, and that’s had a very negative impact on the overall relationship. Since September 2020, we have been negotiating with the Chinese on how to find a solution,” Jaishankar said.
He said the three key issues tackled in these negotiations: disengagement, de-escalation, and a framework for future border management.
“The first and ‘most pressing one’ being disengagement as the troops of both countries are ‘very, very close up to each other, and the possibility of something happening is there,” he stated. Following disengagement, the next priority is de-escalation, with the final step being the establishment of a sustainable border management strategy.
Reflecting on the efforts to reach this point, Jaishankar acknowledged the need for patience in rebuilding trust between the two nations. “Because after four years of a very disturbed border, where peace and tranquillity have really been shattered, it will take naturally time to sort of rebuild a degree of trust and a willingness to work with each other,” he remarked, adding that improved border infrastructure has also played a role in reaching the present agreement.
With the current disengagement and patrolling protocols in place, India is cautiously optimistic about progress, though Jaishankar reiterated that future de-escalation would depend on reciprocal actions from China.