Six Years After Galwan: A Militarised LAC and a Redefined India-China Relationship

On 15 June 2026 India marked six years since the Galwan clash in eastern Ladakh, the deadliest fighting between Indian and Chinese troops since the 1962 war. On 15 June 2020, twenty Indian soldiers were killed; China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) also suffered heavy losses but officially admitted only four deaths. The clash shattered decades of confidence-building arrangements along the border.

The crisis did not erupt without warning. From early May 2020 the PLA had carried out large-scale intrusions in eastern Ladakh, in the Pangong Tso, Galwan-Gogra and Depsang areas, trying to change the status of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by force. India responded with a firm counter-deployment, and in August 2020 occupied the strategic Kailash range, which weakened Chinese positions and pushed the PLA toward disengagement. Disengagement in the Chushul sector followed, while the Depsang deadlock was resolved only after the Modi-Xi meeting in Kazan, Russia, in September 2024.

The LAC today looks very different. Around 50,000 troops remain deployed on each side. The army leadership has described the situation as stable but sensitive. The earlier system of patrolling up to designated Patrolling Points has given way to demilitarised buffer zones, some of which lie on the Indian side of the perceived line and restrict access for soldiers and local herders. China has also massively upgraded its border infrastructure, building bridges across Pangong Tso, a second highway through Aksai Chin, the Lhasa-Nyingchi railway, upgraded airfields, and hundreds of model border villages under its Xiaokang programme.

Despite the deep trust deficit, economic ties have grown. India-China trade crossed 151 billion US dollars in the previous year, with a trade deficit of over 112 billion US dollars in China's favour, driven by India's dependence on Chinese inputs in electronics, pharmaceuticals and green energy. The two countries continue to engage in multilateral groupings such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation out of mutual necessity, even as border talks move slowly.

For exam preparation, this is a central topic in defence, International Relations and security studies. It is highly relevant for UPSC, defence exams and State PCS, covering the LAC, border infrastructure, the China-Pakistan factor and the need for a clear long-term China policy.