Delhi, 29 October (H.S.): India and China have concluded their 23rd round of Corps Commander-level talks, focusing on the management of tensions and maintaining stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector. The meeting was held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the talks took place on October 25. This was the first meeting at the general-level mechanism in the Western Sector since the 24th round of Special Representative talks on August 19. Both nations engaged in a comprehensive and in-depth dialogue regarding active issues along the border.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Defense, both sides had an active and profound dialogue on the management of the western section of the China-India border and exchanged views on methods to de-escalate tensions in sensitive areas. Both delegations agreed to continue engagement through military and diplomatic channels to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border regions.

The primary objective of the meeting was to de-escalate the persistent tensions that have lingered since the 2020 border standoff. Bilateral relations soured significantly following the violent clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15-16, 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides.

Efforts to improve bilateral ties have intensified following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan in 2024. This was followed by the 24th round of talks between the Special Representatives on the boundary dispute in early August of this year, where both nations agreed to utilize diplomatic and military mechanisms to discuss border tension reduction.

On August 30, Prime Minister Modi made his first visit to China since 2018, arriving in Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Before the summit, he met with President Xi, stating, We are committed to advancing our relations based on mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity. The leaders focused their extensive discussions on bilateral relations, which had been under severe strain for over four years following the standoff in eastern Ladakh.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar