US reacts to China-India border thaw; experts say the dispute is not over yet
Washington ‘closely following’ developments after Indian announcement that ‘disengagement process’ on disputed border has been completed
“We are closely following these developments,” a US State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that the US did not have details on the “reported arrangement.”
The department did not say if New Delhi had informed Washington – a key geopolitical partner – about the agreement, which Beijing also has yet to confirm.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told a media conference on Monday that “the disengagement process with China has been completed” and both sides had “gone back to where the situation was in 2020”.
The announcement represents a significant breakthrough in flaring border tensions following the 2020 clash in the Himalayas that resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. More than 30 rounds of negotiations have taken place over the past four years.
Since the 2020 clashes, India has strengthened its ties with the US to counter what both nations view as Beijing’s aggressive actions against its neighbours.
