New Delhi: India and China held “constructive” and “forward-looking” talks on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, noting that maintaining border peace and tranquillity enabled progress in the normalisation of overall relations.
The two sides discussed various aspects of the border situation during a meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) in Beijing on Wednesday.
“The discussions were constructive and forward looking,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, a day after the talks.
According to the MEA, the two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas and expressed satisfaction over recent developments.
“The two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas. They expressed satisfaction with the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, which has enabled progress towards gradual normalization of bilateral relations,” the ministry said.
India and China also agreed to work together to make “substantive preparation” for the next meeting of the Special Representatives (SR), which is scheduled to be held in China.
During the WMCC meeting, the two sides discussed issues related to delimitation, border management, mechanism building and cross-border cooperation.
“The two sides discussed issues pertaining to delimitation, border management, mechanism building and cross-border cooperation,” the MEA said.
The Indian side also stressed the need for an early meeting of the next expert-level mechanism on trans-border rivers.
“Both sides agreed to maintain regular exchanges and contacts at the diplomatic and military levels through mechanisms including those that were agreed as part of outcomes of 24th Special Representative talks,” the ministry added.
The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese foreign ministry.
Ghosh also met Liu Jinsong, Director of the Department of Asian Affairs at the Chinese foreign ministry, and paid a courtesy call on Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei.
The meeting comes as both countries continue efforts to stabilise ties after relations deteriorated sharply following the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 and the prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Following a series of diplomatic and military talks, the two sides disengaged troops from multiple friction points along the LAC. In October 2024, India and China finalised a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok, the last remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Kazan, where both sides agreed on measures to improve bilateral relations. During another meeting on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tianjin last year, Modi reiterated that India was committed to taking forward ties with China based on mutual trust, respect and sensitivity.
