India and China held detailed discussions on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, in an effort to stabilise ties and lay the groundwork for the next round of the Special Representatives’ (SR) dialogue on the boundary issue.
The talks took place in New Delhi during a meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs. According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides expressed satisfaction over the general prevalence of peace and tranquillity in the border areas, noting that it has contributed to the gradual normalisation of bilateral relations.
The meeting also focused on preparations for the upcoming edition of the Special Representatives’ dialogue, which is set to take place in India later this year. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will represent India in the SR talks, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to lead the Chinese side. The last round of this high-level dialogue was held in Beijing in December last year.
During the WMCC meeting, the two sides reviewed the current situation along the India-China border and agreed to maintain regular diplomatic and military-level contacts through existing channels. The MEA said both sides deliberated on several measures previously discussed during the 23rd round of SR talks to improve border management and sustain peace along the LAC.
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India's delegation at the WMCC talks was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs. The Chinese delegation was headed by Hong Liang, Director General of the Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his visit, Hong Liang also met with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Over the past nine months, India and China have been gradually working to normalise relations following the military disengagement along the LAC in October 2023. Although both sides have pulled back troops from key friction points, full de-escalation has yet to be achieved, with approximately 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers from each side still deployed along the eastern Ladakh frontier.
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The WMCC meeting followed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to China, where he attended a conclave of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers. The military standoff between India and China began in May 2020 and led to a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June of that year, severely damaging bilateral relations. The standoff saw numerous rounds of military and diplomatic talks before an agreement was reached on October 21, 2023, for the disengagement of troops from the final two friction points—Demchok and Depsang.
The decision to revive key dialogue mechanisms, including the WMCC and SR talks, was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Russian city of Kazan in October last year. That meeting took place just two days after the Depsang-Demchok disengagement agreement was finalised.
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