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India and China have said that continued peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is helping the two sides move towards a gradual normalisation of bilateral ties, as officials from both countries met in Beijing for fresh discussions on border management and confidence-building measures.
The 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on Wednesday, amid a fragile thaw in relations after years of military tensions in eastern Ladakh.
In a statement issued on Thursday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the talks were “constructive and forward-looking”, with both sides reviewing the situation in the border areas and expressing satisfaction over the maintenance of peace and tranquillity.
“The two sides expressed satisfaction with the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, which has enabled progress towards gradual normalisation of bilateral relations,” the MEA said.
The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA, while the Chinese side was headed by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of China’s Foreign Ministry.
The meeting comes nearly two years after disengagement at the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh was completed in November 2024, following the Modi-Xi meeting in Kazan a month earlier. Despite the disengagement process, both countries continue to maintain large troop deployments in depth areas along the frontier.
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong described the talks as “constructive” and held in a “practical and friendly atmosphere”. In a post on X, he said both sides discussed “boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism development and cross-border communication and cooperation”.
According to the Chinese readout, the two countries also agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels and prepare for the next round of Special Representatives’ talks on the boundary question.
The Indian statement additionally highlighted discussions on trans-border river cooperation, an issue absent from the Chinese account. The MEA said India stressed the need for an early meeting of the Expert-Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers, particularly regarding the Brahmaputra.
The two sides also agreed to intensify preparations for the next meeting of the Special Representatives, indicating that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is expected to travel to China later this year for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Since the easing of tensions in Ladakh, New Delhi and Beijing have gradually initiated confidence-building measures, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the easing of visa restrictions, efforts to restart direct flights and limited relaxation of curbs on Chinese businesses operating in India.
Team BharatShakti
