NEW DELHI, Mar 25: India and China on Tuesday exchanged views on “early resumption” of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including on trans-border rivers and Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. This was during the 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India – China Border Affairs (WMCC) held in Beijing.
The two sides agreed to work together to make substantial preparation for the next meeting of the Special Representatives (SR), which will be held in India later this year.
“Held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, the meeting comprehensively reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas. Peace and tranquillity on the border are critical for the smooth development of overall bilateral relations,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. “The two sides explored various measures and proposals to give effect to the decisions taken during the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question in Beijing in December 2024 and to advance effective border management.”
The two sides agreed to maintain and strengthen relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms towards this end, the statement said. The Indian delegation was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia), and the Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs, Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Das paid a courtesy call on Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei.
Last November, India and China completed disengagement from Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh, the last two friction points of the 2020 standoff, returning to the status quo of pre-April 2020, and have subsequently resumed patrolling in these two areas. However, buffer zones remain in place in the earlier five points where disengagement has been completed and understanding is yet to be reached on new patrolling norms and resumption of patrolling.
In January, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi had said a “degree” of standoff prevails along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and that he has authorised all Corps Commanders to handle issues at the ground level with respect to patrolling and grazing so that these trivial issues can be resolved at the military level itself. He termed the situation along the LAC “sensitive but stable” and that the Army’s deployment is “balanced and robust.”
(Manas Dasgupta)
