The 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing on Wednesday where India and China held constructive and forward-looking discussions on border delimitation and boundary management issues.
The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia), while the Chinese delegation was headed by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two sides reviewed the situation along the India-China border and expressed satisfaction over the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas, which, they said, had contributed to the gradual normalisation of bilateral relations.
During the talks, both countries discussed issues related to border delimitation, border management, mechanism building and cross-border cooperation. The Indian side also stressed the need for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers, it said.
India and China agreed to continue regular diplomatic and military-level exchanges through existing mechanisms, including those agreed upon during the 24th Special Representatives (SR) Talks. Both sides also agreed to work together for substantive preparations for the next SR meeting, scheduled to be held in China.
On the sidelines of the visit, the head of the Indian delegation met Liu Jinsong, Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and also called on Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China, said both sides conducted constructive dialogue in practical and friendly atmosphere and acknowledged that border area maintained lasting peace and tranquillity.
In order to implement the consensus reached during the 24th round of talks between the Special Representatives of China and India on the boundary question, the two sides held discussion on boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism development and cross-border communication and coorperation, and agreed to keep communication through diplomatic and miliary channels, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border area and actively prepare for the 25th round of talks between the Special Representatives of China and India on the boundary question, it added.
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