China-India border talks: dispute to be resolved ‘as soon as possible’
- 20th round of commander-level meetings agrees to seek ‘mutually acceptable’ solution, the Chinese foreign ministry said
- The two-day talks on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control were held against a backdrop of simmering tensions between Beijing and Delhi
China’s defence ministry said the two sides conducted “active, in-depth and constructive communication” on resolving the issues surrounding the western section of the China-India border in a “mutually acceptable manner as soon as possible”.
Xi and Modi agree to prioritise de-escalation efforts at Himalayan border
The meeting was the 20th round of commander-level talks and took place on the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Monday and Tuesday, the ministry said on Thursday.
“Under the joint guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the two sides exchanged views in a candid, open and forward-looking manner,” according to the ministry statement.
They also “agreed to maintain the momentum of communication and dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and resolve the remaining issues as soon as possible” and to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the China-India border.
The rare meeting between the two sides at a location near the border comes two months after the previous round of talks in August, and did not include an agreement on a specific time frame to resolve the dispute.
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the contested Himalayan border between the two countries – has been a sore point for decades. It spilled into violence in June 2020, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
Although the situation on the 3,000km (1,860 miles) frontier has remained relatively calm since then, the diplomatic deadlock between China and India has continued.
The commitment to resolve the dispute in the earliest manner comes at a time of rising tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Will India’s ‘solidified’ stance on China hinder efforts to ease border row?
In August, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the rare step of raising the issue directly with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Brics summit in South Africa.
Modi expressed his concerns about the border dispute, stressing that “observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the India-China relationship”.
The meeting lasted for only a few minutes, reflecting the bitterness in China-India relations.
And in September, Xi skipped the Group of 20 meeting in New Delhi, leaving Premier Li Qiang to represent China at the summit. Experts believe Xi’s decision was partially due to the tensions between Beijing and Delhi.
