India-China Military Talks
India and China recently held a fresh round of high-level military talks aimed at maintaining peace and security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh using existing mechanisms.
Details of the Meeting
- The Corps Commander-level meeting took place on October 25 at the Moldo-Chushul border point on the Indian side.
- This interaction followed the Special Representatives' talks in August between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
- The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the talks as friendly and cordial.
- Both sides noted progress since the 22nd round of Corps Commander-level meeting in October 2024, agreeing to use existing mechanisms to resolve any issues along the border.
Significance and Outcomes
- India and China have initiated measures to normalize relations after a prolonged military standoff along the LAC in eastern Ladakh ended last year.
- The disengagement process from friction points in Demchok and Depsang marked the end of the standoff.
- Following talks in August, both countries committed to a "stable, cooperative, and forward-looking" relationship, including maintaining peace, reopening border trade, and promoting investment.
Ongoing Communication
- The recent meeting was the first of the 'General Level Mechanism' in the Western Sector since August 19.
- A Chinese readout highlighted active and in-depth communication on managing the western section of the China-India border.
- Both sides agreed to maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels as directed by leaders Modi and Xi.
- Despite disengagement, de-escalation by pulling back frontline forces is pending, with each side maintaining around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC.
The military standoff began in May 2020, with a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 severely straining bilateral ties. The decision to revive dialogue mechanisms was made during a recent meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi in Kazan, Russia.