India and China have agreed to maintain peace along their shared border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This agreement came during the latest round of diplomatic talks held in New Delhi on Wednesday. However, no significant progress was made towards resolving the ongoing tensions in the Ladakh region.
The meeting was part of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs, which has been in place since May 2020 when the current standoff began. This was the 16th meeting since then, and the 30th since the WMCC was established in 2012. The last meeting took place in Beijing on March 28.
The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) Gourangalal Das, while the Chinese side was headed by Hong Liang, director general of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of China’s foreign ministry. The Chinese delegation also met with India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who has previously served as India’s ambassador to China.
Both sides agreed to jointly uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas, as per existing bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings. They reviewed the current situation on the LAC intending to find an early resolution to the remaining issues.
India has maintained that normalizing overall relations with China depends on resolving the border situation. The restoration of peace and respect for the LAC are seen as essential for restoring normalcy in bilateral relations.
The discussions were described as “in-depth, constructive, and forward-looking,” though no detailed outcomes were provided. Both countries agreed to continue diplomatic and military communications to maintain the momentum.
Despite numerous diplomatic and military talks, there has been no breakthrough in addressing friction points at Demchok and Depsang. Both sides have previously withdrawn troops from other friction points such as the north and south banks of Pangong Lake, Gogra, and Hot Springs.
Since the standoff began in May 2020, there have been more than 20 rounds of talks between Indian and Chinese military commanders. The WMCC first met virtually in June 2020, shortly after a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops.
This clash marked the first fatalities on the LAC in 45 years and led to the lowest point in India-China relations since the 1962 border war. Currently, around 60,000 troops from each side are positioned along the LAC in the Ladakh sector.
Earlier this week, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar acknowledged that relations between India and China are strained. He attributed this to China’s deployment of a large number of troops to the border area in violation of agreements during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which created tensions and led to a clash. The issue remains unresolved, continuing to impact bilateral relations.
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