India, China review LAC situation at 36th border mechanism talks in New Delhi

New Delhi: India and China held the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs in New Delhi on Thursday. The two sides reviewed the situation along the line of actual control (LAC) and agreed to continue using diplomatic and military channels to maintain peace and address outstanding issues.

The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, joint secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese side was represented by Hou Yanqi, director general of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of China’s foreign ministry.

Officials discussed measures to sustain stability along the border and reaffirmed that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas remains essential for the continued development of bilateral relations.

Both sides agreed to keep communication channels open through existing diplomatic and military arrangements, including the WMCC and local commander-level meetings. They said these mechanisms would help address pending issues and reduce the risk of misunderstandings or unintended incidents along the LAC.

India also renewed its call for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on transborder rivers. It urged China to share technical details of its upstream projects, an issue New Delhi has consistently raised.

The meeting also followed up on decisions taken during the 24th Special Representatives (SR) talks held last year. Officials reviewed progress on boundary delimitation, border management and transborder cooperation.

During the 24th SR talks, Ajit Doval, India’s national security advisor, and Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister, agreed to address the boundary issue in the broader context of bilateral ties. They also agreed to work towards a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement under the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles.

The 24th SR talks had also resulted in a decision to establish an expert group under the WMCC to advance boundary delimitation. A separate working group on border management and additional military communication channels for the eastern and middle sectors were also agreed.

The latest round of talks followed the 35th WMCC meeting held in Beijing in May, where both sides described the discussions as constructive and forward-looking. They also noted progress in maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC, saying the improved situation had contributed to the gradual normalisation of bilateral relations.

The boundary dispute, however, remains unresolved despite continued engagement through established diplomatic and military channels.