India, China delegations meet to discuss border issues, normalisation of bilateral ties

India and China held the 34th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 23), in a fresh bid to sustain momentum on de-escalation efforts along the Line of Actual Control.

The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) Gourangalal Das, while the Chinese side was headed by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department.

According to a statement released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, both sides reviewed the situation in the border areas and expressed satisfaction with the “general prevalence of peace and tranquillity,” noting progress toward “gradual normalisation” of bilateral ties.

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Push for phased disengagement and SR-level talks

The two sides discussed measures aimed at “advancing effective border management and sustaining peace and tranquillity,” building on understandings reached during the 23rd round of the Special Representatives’ (SR) Talks held in Beijing in March 2024.

That round saw National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agree to a phased withdrawal at remaining friction points like Depsang and Demchok.

The WMCC talks also prepared the ground for the 24th round of the SR Talks on the India-China boundary question, which is expected to be held in India later this year. The SR mechanism functions as a higher-level political dialogue to resolve the boundary dispute.

Meeting follows two high-level ministerial visits

The timing of the meeting adds to its significance, coming after two important bilateral exchanges this year. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar travelled to Beijing in January 2025, followed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s engagement with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting in April.

India and China have maintained multiple layers of engagement to navigate ongoing tensions in eastern Ladakh. While large-scale disengagement has been achieved at some points, talks remain deadlocked at several locations.

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With inputs from agencies