DELHI: India and China have resumed patrolling and grazing in the sensitive Depsang and Demchok sectors of eastern Ladakh under a bilateral agreement reached in October 2024. This marks the completion of disengagement from all friction points that emerged during the military standoff of April–May 2020.
The Ministry of External Affairs revealed this in a written reply to a question by MP Pathan Yusuf in the Lok Sabha on April 4, 2025.
According to Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, the two sides agreed on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the two sectors during a dialogue held on October 21, 2024. The agreement includes the restoration of both patrolling and, where applicable, grazing rights to the status quo ante — the longstanding practices that existed before the standoff began.
The Minister said that the agreement has since been implemented by mutually agreed modalities and timelines.
Following the disengagement in Depsang and Demchok, both countries have held several rounds of discussions to reinforce border stability and avoid future flare-ups. These include the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives mechanism in December 2024 and the 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in March 2025.
The agreement marks a significant development in the gradual de-escalation process along the LAC, where troops had been locked in a tense faceoff at multiple points since mid-2020.
