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Actually, the signs were pointing to de-escalation. As recently as September, China and India had agreed to disengage their troops in a remote mountainous region in the western Himalayas. Two years had passed since the deadly clashes. The withdrawal caused surprise and, above all, a deep breath, because hardly anyone had expected a relaxation in the border dispute. But by this week at the latest, hopes that the relaxation will affect other sections of the disputed border have faded. The border is 3,800 kilometers long. There are problems at several points, both in the west and in the east.
