New Delhi: India and China on Tuesday reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of the border areas. This was during the 24th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) that was held today.
The Indian delegation was led by the Additional Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs. The Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation. They recalled that since the last meeting of WMCC in November 2021, both sides have held the 14th and 15th meetings of the Senior Commanders in January and March 2022 respectively.
The Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi had also visited India in March this year and held discussions with External Affairs Minister and the National Security Advisor. The two sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in the Western Sector in Eastern Ladakh.
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They agreed that as instructed by the two Foreign Ministers, both sides should continue the discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC at the earliest to create conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. In this context, they agreed to hold the next (16th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector by the existing bilateral agreements and protocols.
The diplomatic ties between India and China have turned sour ever since the Galwan valley clash in the Ladakh region took place between the two nations. At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the western Himalayas after being attacked by Chinese troops using rocks and clubs. Both sides have been working relentlessly to ease border tensions.
