India and China participated in “constructive” diplomatic talks on Thursday to address the remaining issues and achieve complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh. The talks, held virtually under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), saw representatives engage in an “open, constructive, and in-depth” discussion.
Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, led the Indian delegation, while the Chinese team was headed by the director-general of boundary and oceanic affairs in the Chinese foreign ministry. While no major breakthrough was indicated, both sides expressed the need to maintain peace along the border areas and avoid untoward incidents.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a statement, saying, “The two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas and engaged in an open, constructive, and in-depth discussion of proposals to resolve the remaining issues and achieve complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh.”
The MEA further highlighted the agreement “on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border areas, ensure a stable situation on the ground, and avoid any untoward incident.” Both parties committed to continuing the dialogue through military and diplomatic channels, scheduling the next round of senior commanders’ meetings at the earliest.
The border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops began in May 2020, with ongoing confrontations in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh. Despite disengagement in several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks, the situation remains sensitive. The talks aim to address the remaining points of contention, including at Depsang and Demchok, to achieve a lasting resolution.
India has consistently asserted that normalizing ties with China is contingent on maintaining peace in the border areas. The Galwan Valley clash in June 2020 marked a significant deterioration in bilateral relations, prompting both nations to engage in extensive talks to ease tensions and disengage from conflict zones.
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