In the first in-person meeting between top officials of the two countries since July 2019, India and China on Wednesday reviewed the situation along the border in eastern Ladakh and discussed various proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas in an open and constructive manner.
The two sides this afternoon held the 26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in Beijing. This was the first WMCC meeting since the 14th meeting held in July 2019, to be held in person.
The Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs led the Indian delegation while the Chinese side was led by the Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
”The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas in an open and constructive manner, which would help in (the) restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in Western Sector and create conditions for (the) restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
To achieve this objective in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, they agreed to hold the 18th round of the Senior Commanders’ meeting at an early date. The two sides agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels, the MEA added.
The last meeting of the WMCC was held in October 2022 while the last senior commanders’ meeting took place in December 2022.