Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the LAC
Topic: India's External Relations, 1947-1999: Non-alignment, Wars and Nuclear Policy · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the LAC was signed by India and China in 1993, under the Narasimha Rao government. Both sides agreed to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) until the border is finally settled. The LAC is the working line between land held by India and land held by China, and it has never been jointly marked on the ground. A 1996 agreement built military trust. It ruled out the use of force and limited troops near the LAC.
Example
After Rajiv Gandhi's visit to China in December 1988, the two countries slowly built trust. This led to the 1993 agreement and then the 1996 agreement on military confidence-building.
Don't confuse with
- McMahon Line: this is the 1914 line between Tibet and British India in the eastern sector. China rejects it. The LAC covers the whole India-China border and is a working line, not an agreed border.