Peace seems to have broken out between India and China. On Oct. 23, 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had their first bilateral meeting since 2019. Statements from the foreign ministries of both countries declared a “resolution of issues that arose in 2020,” referring to the crisis that began when Chinese troops launched a number of incursions across the Line of Actual Control — the disputed border between the two countries — in Ladakh. Under the terms of a new “disengagement” agreement, China withdrew its forces from the remaining places where they had crossed the border in 2020, and both sides’ militaries have resumed patrolling in the same areas as they had before the Chinese incursions.

However, despite the apparent easing of tensions between the two countries, the Ladakh crisis of 2020–24 will cast a long shadow over India’s security and role in the region. The period of acute crisis itself was a valuable learning experience for both sides: China likely gleaned important tactical and strategic insights on India, while India developed a new understanding of the threat posed by China. The October deal does not, therefore, restore the status quo ante — there is no going back. But how, exactly, has the crisis affected India’s national security over the long term?

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