India and China held the 30th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in the national capital on Wednesday, and the two sides agreed to uphold peace and tranquility at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and work for early resolution of outstanding issues.
The Indian delegation was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia), from the Ministry of External Affairs. The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Further to discussions between the two Foreign Ministers in their recent meetings at Astana and Vientiane, the two sides reviewed the current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with a view to finding an early resolution of the outstanding issues,” the MEA statement read.
“Restoration of peace and tranquility, and respect for the LAC are an essential basis for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations,” it added.
The two sides agreed on the need to “jointly uphold peace and tranquillity” on the ground in the border areas in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments.
According to the release, the discussion at the meeting was “in-depth, constructive and forward-looking.” Both sides agreed to maintain the momentum through the established diplomatic and military channels.
The leader of the Chinese delegation also called on Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
The previous round of diplomatic talks between New Delhi and Beijing was held in March this year.
Notably, in 2020, the Indian and Chinese troops clashed at Galwan, the same year the pandemic started.
Since May 2020, when the Chinese troops tried to aggressively change the status quo on LAC in eastern Ladakh, both sides have been deployed in forward positions near Patrolling Point 15, which emerged as a friction point in the wake of the Galwan clash.
Over 50,000 Indian soldiers have been stationed since 2020 at forward posts along the LAC, with advanced weapons to prevent any attempts to change the status quo unilaterally on the LAC.