India, China review LAC situation, agree to strengthen border dialogue

New Delhi. India and China reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas during the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs, held in New Delhi on August 6.

The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese side was headed by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the talks, the two sides held what the Ministry of External Affairs described as “frank discussions” on the prevailing situation along the LAC. They stressed that preserving peace and stability in the border regions remains crucial for the overall growth and development of bilateral ties.

India and China also agreed to continue engaging through established diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander-level meetings and other existing mechanisms, to address outstanding issues and prevent misunderstandings or miscalculations along the border.

Building on the outcomes of the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ talks, the two delegations held detailed discussions on boundary delimitation, border management, institutional mechanisms and trans-border cooperation.

The Indian side also reiterated the need for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers and underscored the importance of timely sharing of technical information related to upstream river projects.