The impasse in negotiations to disengage along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) continued at the first in-person India-China border talks held in New Delhi in more than four years.
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Readouts from both sides following the 27th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) held on May 31 suggested no significant headway in the slow-moving talks. The last time New Delhi hosted WMCC talks was for the 13th round in January 2019. In February 2023, both sides met in Beijing for the first in-person talks in China since the 14th round held in July 2019.
Joint Secretary (East Asia) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Shilpak Ambule led the Indian delegation, while the Chinese side was led by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Mr. Hong also called on Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra
A statement from the MEA said, “the two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of India-China border areas and discussed proposals for disengagement in remaining areas in a frank and open manner.” “Restoration of peace and tranquillity will create conditions for normalising bilateral relations,” it added.
A statement from the Chinese MFA made no mention of the restoration of peace and normalising relations. Beijing has sought to delink the border from the rest of the relationship and called on India to put it in “the proper place”, a stand India has rejected describing current ties as “abnormal”. China has also appeared to drag its feet in the slow-moving negotiations to disengage in the two remaining friction areas.
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The Chinese statement said the two sides “exchanged in-depth views on current issues of common concern” and reached three points of consensus: on implementing the consensus reached by the Foreign Ministers who met in March in New Delhi and in May in Goa and to accelerate the resolution of issues in the western section of the border, to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels to promote cooling down and easing of the situation, and to hold the 19th round of military-level talks at an early date.
At the previous 18th round of military talks held in April, there appeared to be no progress as both sides discussed proposals for disengagement.
