China and India affirm progress in disengaging troops in first face-to-face border talks since deadly clash

Officials from Beijing and New Delhi commit to stabilising situation in disputed territory and discuss proposals for pulling back forces

The meeting comes after disengagement began in September, following a two-year stand-off triggered by Galwan Valley skirmishes

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Senior Chinese and Indian military commanders have held 17 rounds of talks since a deadly border clash in June 2020. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 3:35pm, 23 Feb 2023Updated: 4:22pm, 23 Feb 2023

China and India affirmed their progress in disengaging troops in a disputed section of their shared border and committed to working to further stabilise the situation.

Hong Liang, director general of the Chinese foreign ministry’s boundary and oceanic affairs department, met an Indian delegation led by Shilpak Ambule, joint secretary of India’s external affairs minister’s office, in Beijing on Wednesday.

Other representatives of foreign affairs, national defence and immigration affairs agencies also attended.

The meeting, known as the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India Border Affairs, was the 26th of its kind and the first in-person reunion since July 2019. The WMCC last convened on October 14.

The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a notional demarcation line separating Indian-controlled and Chinese-controlled territories, and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas.

The Chinese and Indian officials “reviewed the positive progress” of previous agreements and “exchanged in-depth views” on the next phase of discussions, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.

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