1993 Peace accord
The agreement, signed during China visit of Indian PM PV Narasimha Rao in September 1993, was clearly focused on evolving a framework of CBMs between India and China. Several other pacts were also signed during his visit.
The agreement, signed during China visit of Indian PM PV Narasimha Rao in September 1993, was clearly focused on evolving a framework of CBMs between India and China. Several other pacts were also signed during his visit.
In the post-Cold War context, it became Asia’s first major agreement on conventional military disengagement. Of course, the historic China visit by Rajiv Gandhi, played a big role in moving towards this agreement. Chinese Premier Li Peng visited India in December 1991 and Indian President R Venkataraman paid a visit to China in May 1992.
This agreement eventually resulted in the Sino-Indian Joint Working Group on Boundary Question, which during its Eighth Round in New Delhi (August 1995) agreed to close four closest military posts on the border and to set up four border trade ports besides four meeting points between their armies.
Expansion in Sino-Indian interactions in the border region can be cited as another positive result of mutual confidence that this agreement has generated. In fact, the second CSBM agreement signed in November 1996 has been described as continuation of a positive process initiated by the 1993 pact.
The 1993 and 1996 pacts have closed a chapter which had been very unpleasant in Indian history. They have ended the eyeball to eyeball confrontation over Himalayan peaks, have stopped making the holy range a hot spot in international conflict.
It should be noted that both these agreements quoted Panchsheel Principles verbatim without invoking the name “Panchsheel”.