India, China agree to expedite boundary delimitation talks along LAC
What's the story
India and China have agreed to expedite talks on boundary delimitation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The agreement was reached during the 25th round of Special Representatives talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. A joint statement issued after the meeting outlined eight areas of consensus, including an "Early and Substantial Harvest" of boundary delimitation.
Border management
Establishment of 2 new military hotlines
As part of the agreement, India and China will set up two more meeting points for generals and senior military commanders.
Two new military hotlines will be established in the eastern and middle sectors of the LAC.
The aim is to enhance communication between troops and commanders, preventing local incidents from escalating into larger confrontations.
Conflict resolution
Addressing situation on the ground
Both sides also agreed that any situation on the ground would be addressed promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels.
This includes the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) and local commander-level meetings.
The talks come after reports of a recent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh in July.
Cooperation expansion
Discussing trans-border rivers
The countries will also discuss trans-border rivers at a meeting of their Expert-Level Mechanism in September and "maintain communication on issues including hydrological data sharing, and renewal of the relevant MoUs," the joint statement said
India also expressed concerns over China's dam project on the Brahmaputra in Tibet that can affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh.
Both sides also welcomed the reopening of three designated border trade points and agreed to expand cooperation in border trade and pilgrimage activities.