In late October 2024, India and China began implementing what was touted as a landmark pact to de-escalate tensions along their disputed Himalayan border, a region known as the Line of Actual Control, or LAC.

The agreement, forged ahead of a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the leaders’ first formal talks in five years, included provisions for troop pullbacks, dismantlement of temporary infrastructure and a return to 2020 patrolling patterns in contested areas such as Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh.

Though touted at the time as the biggest thaw in relations since deadly high-mountain clashes in the Galwan Valley in 2020, months later, the agreement is proving more symbolic than substantive in addressing entrenched issues and ensuring meaningful implementation.

Beneath the surface of this diplomatic facade lies a glaring contradiction where, on one hand, both sides publicly advocate peace, and on the other hand, their actions reveal a steadfast commitment to military preparedness and geopolitical rivalry.