India and China conducted another round of diplomatic talks aimed at resolving the border standoff in eastern Ladakh. India urged China to move forward with the disengagement process, although a breakthrough to resolve the issue was not achieved. This meeting marked the first time since the military escalation in May 2020 that India hosted an in-person session of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), which was the 27th meeting of its kind. The previous round of talks was also held in person in Beijing. Both sides agreed during the talks to schedule the next round of military dialogue soon.
The Indian government’s statement indicated that the discussions involved a review of the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas. The parties also discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas in an open and frank manner. The Indian government emphasized that restoring peace and tranquility would create the conditions necessary for normalizing bilateral relations between the two countries.
“In order to achieve this objective, in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols, they agreed to hold the next (19th) round of Senior Commander’s meeting at an early date. The two sides agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels,” according to the Indian statement issued after the meeting.