India and China have successfully completed the disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the eastern Ladakh regions of Depsang and Demchok. This significant development follows extensive diplomatic and military negotiations aimed at resolving tensions that have persisted since 2020.

The disengagement process has been confirmed by sources within the Indian Army, stating that both nations have withdrawn their troops from the contested areas.

Following the disengagement, coordinated patrolling is set to commence soon. This arrangement is expected to restore normalcy in patrolling rights that had been affected due to military standoffs in recent years.

The agreement marks a crucial step in addressing the military standoff that escalated after incidents in 2020, including the violent clashes in Galwan Valley. The recent talks have focused on restoring the status quo ante, which refers to conditions as they existed before the tensions escalated.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has publicly stated that the disengagement process is complete, emphasizing that it restores patrolling rights to areas that had been inaccessible due to Chinese incursions.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted that a broad consensus has been achieved through continuous dialogue between India and China, which includes provisions for traditional grazing and patrolling rights along the LAC.

The Chinese government has also acknowledged the agreement, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian confirming that a resolution on relevant matters has been reached and expressing optimism about future cooperation.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday confirmed that frontier troops of New Delhi and Beijing are engaged in "relevant work" in line with the agreement reached on border issues.

This work is progressing "smoothly", said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a press briefing.

"In accordance with the recent resolutions on border issues, the Chinese and Indian frontier troops are engaged in relevant work, progressing smoothly at present," he said.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated on October 21 that the agreement was reached after several weeks of negotiations leading to a resolution of the issues that arose in 2020.

On October 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping endorsed the agreement on patrolling and disengagement. This endorsement happened during their bilateral meeting at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.

With the disengagement completed, both countries are expected to take further steps towards de-escalation and normalization of relations. This includes reviving various bilateral mechanisms for dialogue aimed at resolving outstanding border issues. The situation remains delicate, with both sides maintaining significant military presence in the region even as they move towards coordinated patrolling.