India has said that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) continues to face periodic disturbances whenever Chinese forces depart from established patrolling patterns, with New Delhi stressing that peace and tranquillity in the border regions remain fundamental to the broader development of bilateral relations with China.

Speaking at the Ministry of External Affairs' bi-weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that such disruptions arise when Chinese troops diverge from previously established patrolling practices in sensitive frontier areas.

“As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns,” Jaiswal said.

He emphasised that both countries continue to engage through established diplomatic and military channels to address unresolved issues and reduce the risk of misunderstandings or miscalculations along the LAC.

“Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” he said.

Jaiswal also noted that India and China have agreed to hold further discussions aimed at improving mutual understanding of the LAC in selected areas, a step intended to strengthen border management and reduce friction.

Underscoring India's broader position on the relationship, he added: “I would also like to emphasise that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.”

The remarks came after Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director General Shatrujeet Kapur indicated that confrontations between Indian and Chinese troops continue to occur at several locations along the border in Arunachal Pradesh.

Kapur said the ITBP has undertaken a significant modernisation effort to strengthen operational readiness in challenging high-altitude environments.

According to the ITBP chief, the force has established drone platoons across all border units and introduced a new ‘Strike’ training course designed to prepare personnel for contingencies similar to the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.

The comments highlight that, despite recent diplomatic progress between New Delhi and Beijing, sensitive areas along the frontier continue to witness periodic tensions linked to differing perceptions of the LAC.

India and China have, however, taken a series of steps over the past year to gradually stabilise relations after they deteriorated sharply following the deadly Galwan Valley clash in 2020 and the prolonged military standoff that persisted for more than four years.

A major breakthrough came in October 2024 when both sides finalised disengagement arrangements in Depsang and Demchok, the last remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.

The agreement was widely viewed as an important milestone in efforts to reduce tensions and restore normal engagement mechanisms between the two Asian powers.

Shortly after the disengagement understanding was reached, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Kazan, where they held discussions and agreed on a number of measures aimed at improving bilateral relations.

Diplomatic engagement continued thereafter, with Prime Minister Modi travelling to Tianjin in August last year for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

On the sidelines of the SCO gathering, Modi and Xi held extensive discussions focused on managing differences, strengthening communication mechanisms and fostering greater stability in India-China relations.

While both sides have expanded dialogue and confidence-building measures since the Ladakh crisis, New Delhi's latest remarks underline that maintaining calm and preventing unilateral changes to established patrolling behaviour along the LAC remain central to sustaining progress in the relationship.

Agencies