India and China held the 28th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) on Thursday, to make further progress on their longstanding border dispute.
Results of Talks
According to a press release by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the same day, the Indian delegation was led by the MEA’s Joint Secretary (East Asia) Gourangalal Das at the virtual meeting, while the Director-General, Boundary & Oceanic Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented the Chinese side.
According to the MEA, they reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the border areas, and “engaged in an open, constructive and in-depth discussion of proposals” to resolve their “remaining issues” and “achieve complete disengagement in Eastern Ladakh.”
Beijing and New Delhi also agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border regions to “ensure a stable situation on the ground and avoid any untoward incident.”
Both sides agreed on the need to find an early resolution to the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh: MEA statement on India, China WMCC talks https://t.co/FuuLJmC3EB pic.twitter.com/nuAJtMJaE5
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 25, 2021
They agreed to “continue dialogue through military and diplomatic channels” and hold the next round of the Senior Commanders’ Meeting at the earliest.
Overview of Dispute
At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in the Galwan-Valley conflict between the two countries in June 2020.
Following the conflict, New Delhi and Beijing have held several talks to resolve the issue.
So far, the two sides have managed to disengage at Galwan, Gogra, Kugrang Valley, the north bank of Pangong Lake, and the Kailash range.
However, progress on the critical points of Depsang and Demchok has been difficult.
While the Chinese side claims that the two regions are part of the legacy boundary dispute, India has held that the stand-off will end only if both armies disengage at these two points.