Whether ‘buffer zones’ will continue is unclear.

• The Indian government has stated that troops will return to pre-2020 positions, but senior officials suggest that buffer zones will not be included in the current patrolling arrangement.
• Former Ambassador to China Ashok Kantha criticizes the government’s statement that disengagement has been completed prematurely.
• The MEA did not respond to requests for comment on whether buffer zones would remain, but an official denied any “contradiction” in the statements.
• Experts suggest that the confusion over buffer zones is related to the original statements about the “breakthrough” announced on October 21, two days before a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
• Manoj Joshi, a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, questions whether patrolling will be allowed in the buffer zones.
• A return to ‘business as usual’ is ill-advised as structural problems remain unresolved.
• Both sides need to continue working on peace and confidence-building processes.