The India-China troop clash of 2020 along the largely unmarked frontier of Ladakh in a disputed border area in the Western Himalayas resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. It was the deadliest border incident between the two nuclear-armed nations in memory.
Since then, other more minor skirmishes and tense incidents have followed, leading to several military-to-military talks and efforts at dialogue trying to diffuse the situation. Both countries have feared there could be another deadly blow-up, as the rival armies jockey to claim territory in the high altitude no man's land.
But it appears the lengthy dispute may have permanently come to an end, and without further bloodshed. The two countries have reportedly struck a major peace deal in connection with the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan this week.
The last time President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral summit was all the way back in October 2019, in southern India. Since then, the relationship has been marred by the border tensions.
China has since developed a high-altitude air force base and infantry encampments in the Ladakh border region.
But the two leaders met and shook hands on the sidelines of the BRICS summit on Wednesday...
"Over the last several weeks, Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other in a variety of forums, and as a result of these discussions, [an] agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control," Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi just as the BRICS summit kicked off in Russia.
The agreement has led to "disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020," the top Indian diplomat added.
China's Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday that "China and India, through diplomatic and military channels, maintained close communication recently over border-related issues. The two sides have now reached a solution."
It was soon after the agreement was made public that Xi and Modi met in Kazan. President Xi said the two countries "should carefully handle differences and disagreements and facilitate each other’s pursuit of development aspirations."
"It’s important for both sides to shoulder our international responsibilities, set an example for boosting the strength and unity of the developing countries, and contribute to promoting multi-polarization and democracy in international relations," Xi continued.
And India's Foreign Ministry said in follow-up: "The two leaders affirmed that stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, as two neighbors and the two largest nations on earth, will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity."
Without doubt, Russian and Asian regional media will hold up this historic moment as displaying the benefits of the BRICS alliance, and of Putin as the peacemaking host.