India and China Hold Successful Military Talks to Maintain Peace Along LAC in Eastern Ladakh

New Delhi:

India and China conducted a recent high-level military dialogue focused on preserving peace and security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh through existing diplomatic mechanisms.

The Corps Commander-level discussions took place at the Moldo-Chushul border point on Indian territory on October 25.

This meeting represented the first military interaction between both nations following the Special Representatives' dialogue in August between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the discussions proceeded in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.

The MEA reported that both parties acknowledged progress since the 22nd Corps Commander level meeting in October 2024 and shared observations that peace and tranquility have been maintained along the India-China border regions.

"Both sides agreed to continue to use existing mechanisms to resolve any ground issues along the border to maintain stability," the statement noted.

In recent months, India and China have implemented various measures to normalize their diplomatic relations after concluding their over four-year military standoff along the LAC in eastern Ladakh last October.

The standoff effectively concluded following the completion of the disengagement process from the final two friction points at Demchok and Depsang.

Following Foreign Minister Wang's New Delhi visit for Special Representatives' talks on August 19, both countries unveiled initiatives for a "stable, cooperative and forward-looking" relationship, including jointly maintaining frontier peace, reopening border trade, and promoting investment flows.

"This was the first meeting of the 'General Level Mechanism' in the Western Sector since the 24th round of Special Representatives talks held on August 19," the MEA stated regarding the Corps-Commander discussions.

A Chinese statement on the Corps-Commander talks indicated that both sides engaged in substantive and in-depth communication concerning management of the western section of the China-India border.

The parties committed to maintaining communication and dialogue as agreed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"They agreed to continue communication and dialogue through military and diplomatic channels under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the China-India border areas," stated the Chinese defense ministry's readout.

Although both nations have disengaged troops from friction points, they have yet to de-escalate the situation by withdrawing frontline forces from the border.

Currently, each side maintains approximately 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

The military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020, with a deadly clash at Galwan Valley in June that year severely straining bilateral relations between the neighboring countries.

The decision to revitalize various dialogue mechanisms between India and China was reached during a meeting between Modi and Xi in the Russian city of Kazan in October last year.