No BPM between India, China

Ceremonial meets are held on National Days, and each side showcases its traditions

Power play: A file photo of Indian Army and Chinese PLA officers during a ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting.

India and China may have made peace after the Doklam crisis at the BRICS summit, but suspicions still linger on the ground. China has not invited India for the ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to commemorate its National Day on October 1.

“It is a standard practice to invite [India]. But we did not get any invitation from China for the BPM this time,” an official source confirmed on Sunday.

This development comes before the crucial National Congress

of the Communist Party of China later this month, which is considered very important for President Xi Jinping.

The last time a similar incident occurred was on August 15 to commemorate India’s Independence Day at the height of the Doklam stand-off. While India had sent an invitation, China did not respond to it. However, both sides exchanged sweets on that occasion.

The two sides ended the stand-off just before the BRICS summit in China, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Jinping held bilateral discussions on the sidelines.

Ceremonial BPMs are held on National Days and, usually, the process of inviting and confirming is carried out a couple of days in advance. It is seen as an opportunity for each side to showcase its traditions and cultural diversity to the other.

There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.