De-escalation: Indian and Chinese forces withdraw from border post in Himalayas

 After two years of strained diplomatic relations due to border skirmishes, the forces of India and China have begun withdrawing from the border in the western Himalayas

According to the news agency Reuters, the Indian government has confirmed the withdrawal of forces from the border in a statement.

This statement of the withdrawal of the forces from the combat position comes ahead of the meeting in Uzbekistan next week, where Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are also expected to meet.

India has said that the withdrawal of forces from the border area is being done in a coordinated and planned manner and is aimed at maintaining peace along the border.

In June 2020, there was a clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan area of ​​Ladakh. Since then, there have been 16 rounds of talks between the senior military commanders of the two countries.

At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed during clashes in the area, leading to a sharp rise in tensions between the two countries.

After the clashes, India moved about 50,000 troops to face Chinese forces in Ladakh, some at altitudes of more than 15,000 feet, where lack of oxygen and winter temperatures prove deadly.

After the two countries agreed to withdraw their forces closer to each other, Chinese troops dismantled dozens of structures and moved with vehicles to evacuate all the camps on the banks of Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh.

India and China share a 3,800-km long border, where the armies of both countries previously followed a long-established protocol to avoid the use of any firearms on the border.