India and China have agreed to continue resolving outstanding issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) through existing diplomatic and military channels, signalling a cautious effort to sustain the recent improvement in bilateral ties after years of strained relations.
The understanding emerged during the latest meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs held in New Delhi on Thursday. In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both sides held "frank discussions" on the situation along the LAC and reviewed progress on issues relating to boundary delimitation, border management and cross-border cooperation.
The two countries reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, saying stability along the frontier remained essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.
According to the MEA, the discussions formed part of follow-up efforts after the recent meeting of the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question. Officials also reviewed institutional mechanisms aimed at managing the border and preventing misunderstandings through regular communication.
Both sides agreed to continue using established diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC framework and local commander-level meetings, to address unresolved issues and ensure effective management of the border situation.
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India also pressed for an early meeting of the expert-level mechanism on trans-border rivers and highlighted the need for timely sharing of technical data relating to upstream projects, an issue that has figured prominently in bilateral discussions in recent years.
The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA, while the Chinese side was headed by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs in China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
India-China ties have remained under strain since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, the deadliest military confrontation between the two countries in decades. The incident triggered a prolonged military standoff, with both sides deploying additional troops and military infrastructure along the LAC.
Although several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have since resulted in disengagement at a number of friction points, the broader boundary dispute remains unresolved. Political trust between the two neighbours continues to recover gradually, even as both governments seek to stabilise ties without compromising their respective positions on the boundary question.
The latest WMCC meeting reflects the continuing effort by New Delhi and Beijing to manage differences through dialogue while preventing tensions along the border from escalating into a larger confrontation.
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