Indian and Chinese troops have completed the much-awaited disengagement process in the Depsang and Demchok regions of eastern Ladakh, a development that marks a major step toward stabilizing tensions along the Line of Actual Control. 

Sources from the Indian Army reported that ground commanders from both countries will remainengaged in discussions asthey continue to supervise a coordinated patrolling agreement to facilitateunimpededactivities in the volatile region. 

With the disengagementprocesssuccessfullycompleted, coordinated patrolling by Indian and Chinese troops is expected to start soon, andit will open up access to previously restricted patrolling points in the Depsang Plains and Demchok. "Verification is ongoing, and the modalities for patrolling will be finalized by ground commanders," Indian Army sources revealed on Wednesday. These developments come inthe wake of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirming on October 21 that India and China had agreedon disengagement at the remaining points of contention along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

As part of the agreement, both sides began dismantling structures and restoring the land to its original condition. In the Depsang Plains, this meant removing a bottleneck that had previously restricted Indian access to vital patrolling points. Indian forces will soon be able to patrol beyond this area, reclaiming routine monitoring capabilities. In Demchok, troops are set to conduct patrols at key locations, including Track Junction and Charding Nullah.

Satellite imagery ofthe areas on 11 and 25 Octobercaptured the demolitionprocesswhereone could see vehicles and tents beingmoved away from the disputed "Y Junction" area in Depsang. Itwasapparentonthesatelliteimages that Chinese vehicles and tents were seen moving back from critical points and both thenationscouldcontinuetheir regular work.

China's Ambassador to India, Xu Fiehong, attributed the current disengagement and cooperation between the two countries following a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping.

“Now that the two leaders have reached important understandings, they will guide the further development of relations between our two countries. I hope that, under the guidance of this consensus, our relations will move forward smoothly in the future,” Xu told reporters in Kolkata. 

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the recent BRICS summit in Russia, where they discussed ways to manage bilateral issues while maintaining peaceful relations. Xu emphasized that “as two neighboring countries, it is natural to have some differences. The meeting of the two leaders has set a very good example for us on how to handle these differences.”

As a gesture of goodwill, Indian and Chinese troops plan to exchange sweets along the LAC on the occasion of Diwali, reflecting a renewed commitment to peaceful relations. Sources confirm that, with the disengagement process complete now, both sides willmovetoward sustainable peace and cooperative engagement oftheir differences.