Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Veterans Question Silence on Ladakh Territorial Restoration Talks
India and China have had a serious border dispute in Ladakh since 2020.
Their soldiers have pulled back from some locations, but both countries still keep many troops near the border.
They also created buffer zones where soldiers from neither side patrol.
Retired Indian military officers say these zones may prevent India from using areas it claims.
They are also upset that India did not publicly demand a return to the April 2020 position.
Indian officials say the buffer zones are temporary and do not give up India’s territorial claims.
The two countries are still discussing the border through military and diplomatic talks.
Their leaders recently discussed peace and stability, but did not publicly discuss territorial restoration.
India’s readout of the Modi-Xi meeting did not mention restoring the April 2020 status quo.
Retired military officials said the silence could entrench a new status quo favoring China.
Nearly 60,000 troops from each side remain deployed along the Ladakh border.
Partial disengagement created buffer zones where Indian and Chinese troops stopped patrolling.
Officials call the zones temporary, while restoration of Indian patrolling rights remains under negotiations.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, along with Indian and Chinese military and diplomatic officials.
- What
- India and China discussed bilateral ties, while veterans criticized the absence of any stated commitment to restore the April 2020 border status quo in eastern Ladakh.
- When
- Modi and Xi met on Saturday; the criticism was reported on Sunday. The main standoff began in 2020.
- Where
- The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi; the dispute concerns eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control.
- Why
- The issue remains contentious because troops have not fully de-escalated, buffer zones limit patrolling, and India’s restoration of access remains unresolved.
Veterans and Border Critics
Government and Military Officials
Restoring the border status quo
Veterans and Border Critics
Retired military officials argue that India must seek restoration of the April 2020 status quo and its patrolling rights before normal bilateral ties can be achieved.
Government and Military Officials
Officials say the matter remains subject to continuing diplomatic and military negotiations, while the public readout emphasized peace and tranquillity rather than specifying territorial restoration.
Meaning of buffer zones
Veterans and Border Critics
Critics say buffer zones stop Indian troops from patrolling India-claimed territory, create a new baseline favoring China and could restrict local access to grazing land.
Government and Military Officials
Indian military and defence officials say the zones are temporary arrangements intended to prevent direct clashes and do not mean India has surrendered territorial claims or sovereign rights.
- Meeting
- Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
- Stated priority
- Modi emphasized that peace and tranquillity in border areas were important for continued bilateral ties.
- Troop deployment
- Each country continues to forward-deploy nearly 60,000 troops and weaponry near the Ladakh border.
- Buffer zones
- Buffer or no-patrolling zones remain in five standoff areas, including Galwan Valley, Pangong Lake, Hot Springs and Gogra.
- 2024 disengagement
- China disengaged from the Depsang Plains and Demchok in October 2024 after diplomatic and military talks.
- Official position
- Indian military and defence officials describe the buffer zones as temporary and say they do not surrender India’s territorial claims.
- Unresolved issue
- India’s patrolling rights at the buffer-zone locations remain subject to ongoing talks.