“US Welcomes De-Escalation Along India-China Border as Troop Disengagement Progresses Along LAC”
The US State Department expressed support for recent reductions in tensions between India and China following troop disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller noted that Washington is closely monitoring the situation but emphasized that the US did not play a direct role in resolving the dispute. “We are closely following developments and welcome any reduction in tensions along the border,” Miller stated in a briefing on Tuesday.
Miller also confirmed discussions with Indian officials regarding the situation but reiterated that the US did not mediate in the process.
In Eastern Ladakh, the disengagement process in the Depsang and Demchok areas is nearing completion, with Indian and Chinese forces verifying the removal of troops and infrastructure. India has been aiming to restore conditions to those before the April 2020 escalation, after years of diplomatic and military negotiations.
On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that both nations’ border forces are executing disengagement in line with recent agreements. Chinese spokesperson Lin Jian described the process as progressing “smoothly.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs also announced a new agreement with China on patrolling protocols along the LAC, concluding a four-year standoff that began with Chinese incursions in 2020. The breakthrough followed discussions between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit, where both leaders endorsed renewed border management efforts. The developments signal a critical step toward de-escalation and the management of the long-standing border dispute.
