India and China have agreed to continue engaging through existing diplomatic and military channels to resolve pending issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and avoid any misunderstandings or miscalculations.
The understanding was reached during the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), held in New Delhi, on August 6.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), officials from both countries held "frank" discussions while reviewing the situation along the LAC. The two sides also agreed that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas remains essential for the broader development of bilateral relations, per a report by Hindustan Times.
Focus on border management and 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 Oceanic Affairs at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting followed the outcomes of the 24th round of Special Representatives (SR) talks, with both sides taking forward discussions on several key issues related to the boundary.
Officials held detailed deliberations on boundary delimitation, border management, strengthening existing mechanisms and enhancing trans-border cooperation.
India raises issue of trans-border rivers
During the discussions, India reiterated the need for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers. It also underlined the importance of sharing technical information related to upstream projects.
The latest WMCC meeting reflects the continued engagement between New Delhi and Beijing through established dialogue mechanisms, even as both countries work on addressing unresolved issues along the border.
The MEA said the discussions covered areas aimed at improving coordination and reducing the possibility of tensions along the LAC. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to using existing channels of communication to manage border-related matters while continuing efforts to maintain stability in the region.