NEW DELHI — India and China on Tuesday signed a landmark demilitarization agreement that commits both nations to a phased withdrawal of forward-deployed troops and dismantling of temporary military infrastructure along the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC), marking the most significant diplomatic breakthrough between the two Asian powers in decades.
The agreement, signed by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a ceremony in New Delhi, follows more than two years of intensive diplomatic and military-level negotiations that accelerated after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa last year. The pact covers all disputed sectors — western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh), and eastern (Arunachal Pradesh) — and establishes a 90-day timeline for the first phase of disengagement.
Under the terms of the agreement, both sides will pull back troops to positions held before the 2020 Galwan Valley crisis, create expanded buffer zones patrolled by unarmed border personnel, and install jointly monitored surveillance systems at key friction points including Depsang Plains and Demchok. A new bilateral hotline between the two countries' defense ministries will be established to prevent future escalations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the agreement as a 'new chapter in Asian stability,' while Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a statement from Beijing calling it proof that 'dialogue and mutual respect can resolve even the most entrenched disputes.' Both leaders are expected to hold a formal bilateral summit in the coming months to discuss expanded economic cooperation.
Strategic analysts noted that the deal reflects shifting calculations in both capitals. India's desire to refocus military resources on economic modernization and China's need to stabilize its periphery amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and a slowing domestic economy created a rare window for compromise. However, some Indian opposition leaders and retired military officials expressed skepticism, warning that verification mechanisms remain untested.
The agreement was broadly welcomed by the international community. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'a positive development for regional peace,' while UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised both nations for demonstrating that 'diplomacy remains the most powerful tool for resolving disputes.' Markets responded positively, with the Indian Sensex rising 1.8 percent and Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong posting modest gains.