China-India border: why the devil is still in the detail for troop withdrawal agreement
- Senior officials from the two sides discussed the deal to disengage from their stand-off in the Himalayas, but military sources said the current arrangement was temporary
- Tensions are running high after a deadly clash last month, and analysts say their disagreement risks flaring up again
Sources in the Indian Army said the two sides had decided to disengage from the positions they have been occupying for the last two months, but described it as a temporary measure and said politicians had to find a more lasting settlement to defuse tensions.
Analysts also noticed the differences in tone between the statements issued following Monday night’s talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval, with some arguing that Beijing continued to paint India as the aggressor.
“Disengagement means that both sides are basically no longer in the forward positions that they were in through the stand-off,” an Indian Army official said.
“They will not be immediately withdrawn but they will go back by certain distances, depending on the location.”
