Since April 2020, India and China have had several rounds of diplomatic and military level meetings on the situation along the Line of Actual Control..reports Asian Lite News
The 26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 22 February 2023 in Beijing, marking the first in-person meeting since July 2019.
The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese delegation was led by Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas. The discussions were conducted in an open and constructive manner with the objective of restoring peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western Sector and creating conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations.
In accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols, the two sides agreed to hold the next (18th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date. They also agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels to achieve their objective.
The WMCC was established in 2012 to provide a platform for consultations and coordination between India and China on border affairs. The 26th meeting was significant as it took place amid ongoing tensions between the two countries, particularly in the wake of the 2020 clashes in the Galwan Valley.
Earlier, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong told Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat that the two sides should stand high and look far, and view bilateral relations from a comprehensive and long-term perspective.
He called China-India border situation “stable at the moment.”
Sun said that as the situation at the border is currently stable, both India and China should implement the important consensus between the leaders of the two nations, and also strengthen communication, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said in an official statement. “The China-India border situation is generally stable at the moment, and is switching from emergency response to normalized management and control,” Weidong said.
Since April 2020, India and China have had several rounds of diplomatic and military level meetings on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the India-China border areas.
India has repeatedly said that bilateral relations cannot be normal unless the border situation is and added that if China disturbs the peace and tranquillity in border areas, it will impact the relations further. (ANI)
