Kumar Bahukhandi
Indian and Chinese delegations during the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), where the two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC and discussed boundary management and trans-border cooperation. Photo: X/MEA
Both sides agree to continue diplomatic and military dialogue to address outstanding border issues and prevent misunderstanding along the Line of Actual Control
New Delhi: India and China held the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), reviewing the overall situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and discussing issues concerning boundary delimitation, border management and trans-border cooperation.
The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs in China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The discussions took place against the backdrop of social-media claims about a fresh face-off involving Indian and Chinese troops in the Taksing sector of Arunachal Pradesh. The claims, including allegations of a major Chinese intrusion, have not been officially substantiated by the Indian government.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two delegations held frank and constructive discussions and reiterated that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas remains essential for the overall development of India-China bilateral relations.
Both sides agreed to continue using established diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander-level meetings and other mutually agreed mechanisms, to address outstanding issues and minimise the possibility of misunderstanding or miscalculation along the LAC.
As a follow-up to the outcomes of the 24th Special Representatives’ talks, the two sides also exchanged views on boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism-building and trans-border cooperation.
India reiterated the need for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers and stressed the importance of sharing technical information concerning upstream projects. Cooperation over trans-border rivers remains an important component of discussions between the two countries because developments upstream can have implications for downstream regions in India.
The meeting assumes significance amid renewed attention on the situation in Arunachal Pradesh following circulation of a video on social media purportedly showing an interaction between Indian and Chinese military personnel.
In the video, an Indian Army officer can be heard questioning the number of Chinese personnel present in the area. Claims accompanying the footage alleged that Chinese troops had intruded deep into Indian territory. However, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu rejected the narrative surrounding the viral videos and maintained that Indian forces continue to firmly control and monitor the territory.
The latest WMCC endian and Chinese delegations during the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), where the two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC and discussed boundary management and trans-border cooperation. Photo: X/MEAngagement reflects the continuing effort by New Delhi and Beijing to manage differences along the disputed boundary through established diplomatic and military mechanisms while seeking to prevent local incidents from escalating into wider confrontation.
