India and China on Wednesday held face-to-face diplomatic talks and discussed proposals for de-escalation at remaining friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in a “frank and open manner”. The two sides also agreed to hold the 19th round of high-level military talks soon to achieve the goal of restoring peace and tranquility in the border areas. Both countries agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels.
The situation in the LAC was discussed at the 27th meeting of the Working Mechanism for India-China Border Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) held in Delhi. While the Indian delegation was led by the Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Chinese side was led by the DG Border and Ocean Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The previous meeting of the WMCC was held in Beijing on February 22.
“Both sides reviewed the situation along the LAC in the western sector of the Indo-China border areas and discussed proposals for withdrawal in the remaining areas in a frank and open manner. The restoration of peace and tranquility will create the conditions for normalization of bilateral relations,” the MEA said in an official statement.
Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a more than three-year standoff at certain flashpoints in eastern Ladakh, even as both sides have withdrawn from several areas after extensive diplomatic and military negotiations.
The standoff on the eastern border of Ladakh erupted on 5 May 2020 following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area. Ties between the two countries have fallen significantly following a violent clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, which marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.
As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the withdrawal process in 2021 on the northern and southern shores of Pangong Lake and the Gogra region.
On April 13 this year, India and China also held the 18th round of high-level military talks and agreed to remain in close contact and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh as soon as possible.
A few days later, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu visited India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting. On the sidelines of the SCO meeting, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held a nearly 45-minute bilateral meeting with Li.
During the talks, Singh told his Chinese counterpart that China’s violation of existing border agreements had “eroded” the entire basis of ties between the two countries and that all border issues must be resolved in accordance with existing pacts.
On May 4, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also told his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang that it was important to resolve the eastern border dispute of Ladakh and ensure peace and tranquility along the LAC for the development of bilateral relations.
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