NEW DELHI: India and China held another round of diplomatic talks to complete the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh and, in absence of any breakthrough, agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels for border peace. According to China, both sides agreed to have another meeting of the corps commanders soon to resolve the remaining issues.
This was the 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) and the 15th such meeting since the Galwan clash in June 2020.Apart from the 15 WMCC meetings, the two countries have also held 21 rounds of India-China corps commander level meetings to resolve the military standoff that erupted in April-May 2020.
According to an Indian readout, the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along LAC in the western sector of India-China border areas.
The remaining issues pertain to the friction points in Demchok and Depsang areas where aggressive forward deployment remains a major issue. India has maintained that the situation remains abnormal at the LAC and that it will not consider normalising ties with Beijing till complete disengagement is achieved. “In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols,” the govt added.
India attributes the current situation between the two countries to China’s violation of the bilateral agreements and protocols for border peace and tranquility. Jaishankar said on Wednesday, the day WMCC talks were held, that India will not compromise on the border issue and that normalisation can only be achieved through a return to the normal or traditional troop deployment.
“We’re negotiating with the Chinese. We meet from time to time. But we are clear that we had an agreement. There is a Line of Actual Control. We have a tradition of not bringing troops to that line. Both of us have bases some distance away, and we want that normalcy,” he said.
This was the 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) and the 15th such meeting since the Galwan clash in June 2020.Apart from the 15 WMCC meetings, the two countries have also held 21 rounds of India-China corps commander level meetings to resolve the military standoff that erupted in April-May 2020.
According to an Indian readout, the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along LAC in the western sector of India-China border areas.
The remaining issues pertain to the friction points in Demchok and Depsang areas where aggressive forward deployment remains a major issue. India has maintained that the situation remains abnormal at the LAC and that it will not consider normalising ties with Beijing till complete disengagement is achieved. “In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols,” the govt added.
India attributes the current situation between the two countries to China’s violation of the bilateral agreements and protocols for border peace and tranquility. Jaishankar said on Wednesday, the day WMCC talks were held, that India will not compromise on the border issue and that normalisation can only be achieved through a return to the normal or traditional troop deployment.
“We’re negotiating with the Chinese. We meet from time to time. But we are clear that we had an agreement. There is a Line of Actual Control. We have a tradition of not bringing troops to that line. Both of us have bases some distance away, and we want that normalcy,” he said.