NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Troops from India and China have begun stepping back from two final stand-off positions along their disputed Himalayan frontier, paving the way to end a four-year military face-off.
Here is how the latest conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours began and how it hurt their ties.
THE BORDER
India and China share a roughly 4,000-km (2,500-mile) border, a large part of which is undemarcated and disputed. Much of it also runs high along the Himalayas, through glaciers, snow deserts and rivers in the west to densely forested mountains in the east.
THE CONFRONTATION
The conflict broke out between Indian and Chinese troops in in June 2020 in Galwan valley in the Indian territory of Ladakh – considered important because it leads to Aksai Chin, a disputed plateau claimed by India but controlled by China.
At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the neighbours’ first deadly military confrontation since 1975.
THE TRIGGER
The clash broke out over two tents and observation towers that India said were built on its side of the de-facto border, and which its troops set on fire after they were discovered by a patrol.
CHINESE TROOPS’ RESPONSE
In response, a large group of Chinese soldiers, lightly armed because of the rules of engagement in the region, arrived and confronted the Indian troops.
About 900 soldiers of both sides were involved in the hand-to-hand combat that followed, when they beat each other with rocks and wooden sticks embedded with nails.
GOVERNMENTS’ RESPONSES
After the skirmish, New Delhi heightened scrutiny of investments from China, banned popular Chinese mobile apps, and cut direct passenger air routes to China.
Later, India’s defence minister said the incident showed China had disregarded a two-way pact between the countries.
China said there had been a serious violation of a consensus reached by the neighbours.
WHAT IS THE SITUATION NOW?
In the past four years, both sides have pulled back troops from five locations on the border where they were in face-off positions and, following this week’s agreement, will pull back personnel from the final two points.
(Compiled by Ainnie Arif; Editing by Y P Rajesh and Clarence Fernandez)
