Indian and Chinese troops are actively disengaging from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which roughly marks their border, removing a significant impediment in their relations. In July 2020, there was fighting and face-off between their troops in the Galwan River valley in disputed territory in the Himalayan Mountains, which left 20 Indian soldiers, and reportedly several Chinese soldiers, dead.
On Oct. 23, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for half an hour. One of the topics of the talks was disengagement in the border area. Following the meeting, Xi said that the two countries should carefully handle disagreements, to facilitate their mutual development, and that “It’s important for both sides to shoulder our international responsibilities, [and] set an example for boosting the strength and unity of the developing countries.”
