Four Years After Galwan Row, China Withdraws Troops From Site, 3 Other Locations

It has been four years since the Galwan Valley clash, during which relations between India and China soured significantly. China had maintained a strong military presence in the Galwan Valley since then, but the tensions are now gradually easing. After four years, China has ordered its troops to withdraw from the region. The question arises: what has changed after these four years that prompted China to pull back its forces? Let’s dive into the details.

On Friday, September 13, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that troops have been withdrawn from four locations, including the Galwan Valley, in Eastern Ladakh. The ministry mentioned that during a meeting in Russia, both India and China agreed to work together to create a conducive environment for improving bilateral relations.

According to a press release issued by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks on Thursday on the sidelines of a high-level BRICS meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia. During this meeting, both sides discussed recent progress in their deliberations on border issues.

A spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "In recent years, the forward-deployed forces of both countries have completed the withdrawal process from four points along the western sector of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley. The situation along the China-India border is generally stable and under control." This statement followed Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s remarks in Geneva, where he mentioned that about 75% of the issues related to troop withdrawal with China have been resolved, though the increasing militarization along the border remains a significant concern.

Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, as special representatives for the India-China border negotiations, discussed the future of relations between the two nations. In a detailed press release, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that both sides believe the stability of India-China relations is in the fundamental and long-term interest of their people and contributes to regional peace and development.

According to a report by China’s official news agency Xinhua, Wang Yi, a member of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee Political Bureau, emphasized that in the face of a turbulent world, as two ancient Eastern civilizations and emerging developing nations, China and India should remain steadfast in their independence, choose unity and cooperation, and avoid harming each other. Wang expressed hope that both sides would adopt a pragmatic approach to resolve differences appropriately, find a suitable way to work together, and bring India-China relations back onto a healthy, stable, and sustainable development path.