India and China are set to hold their first Corps Commander-level talks in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) Sunday, with senior military officers from the two sides scheduled to meet at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point in Arunachal Pradesh. The talks, to be held on the Indian side at Wacha, are expected to focus on outstanding issues along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and ways to prevent tensions from escalating. The meeting assumes significance as Corps Commander-level negotiations between the two countries have so far largely been held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in the Ladakh sector following the military standoff that began in 2020.
The Indian delegation will be led by Lt Gen Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 3 Corps, also known as the Spear Corps and headquartered at Rangapahar in Nagaland. The 3 Corps and the Tezpur-based 4 Corps are responsible for stretches of the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.
Focus on eastern sector
The meeting comes amid reports of tensions in the Taksing area of Upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh, where local military commanders from the two sides have held several rounds of discussions in recent weeks to address issues on the ground.
India and China have differing perceptions of the LAC at several locations, periodically resulting in face-offs and disputes between troops. The Indian Army has maintained a firm position in dealing with Chinese troop activities in areas where differences have emerged, sources said.
Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth recently visited the 3 Corps headquarters, where he reviewed the operational preparedness of formations and ongoing development initiatives along the border. He was also briefed on measures being taken to strengthen combat capabilities.
Talks follow Doval visit
Sunday’s military dialogue follows National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s recent visit to China and his talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi under the Special Representatives mechanism on the boundary question.
The two sides subsequently announced measures aimed at maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC and strengthening military-to-military communication. These included establishing additional meeting points for senior military commanders and opening two more border military hotlines in the eastern and middle sectors.
The new arrangements mark an expansion of the military dialogue mechanism that assumed greater importance after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, in which soldiers from both countries were killed.
Following the eastern Ladakh crisis, India and China held repeated Corps Commander-level negotiations to work towards disengagement at friction points. Extending such talks to the eastern sector is aimed at providing senior commanders responsible for the area with a more direct mechanism to address disputes and prevent local incidents from developing into wider confrontations.