India, China ceremonial BPM; Did not take place on Oct 1

The border guarding troops of India and China didn't hold their traditional ceremonial meetings at the border, signalling the continued chill in the relations between the two armies since the Doklam crisis.
 
The ceremonial meetings that were to take place at five Border Personnel Meeting points across the Line of Actual Control were cancelled as China didn't send an invite, sources said here.
 
Indian Army didn't officially react to queries on the BPM meeting that traditionally take place on October 1, the Chinese national day. The previous such ceremonial meeting, which China was to host on August 1 also didn't happen.
 
While there was no ceremonial BPM on August 15 – in the middle of the stand-off – sweets were exchanged between the two sides.
 
Army sources said on August 15, sweets were exchanged between Indian Army and PLA troops in multiple border locations including in the area of Doklam.
 
Even though the 73-day long stand-off at Doklam was resolved on the eve of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China last month, both sides have now fortified their military positions in the Sikkim sector.
 
The stand-off involved Chinese claims on a strategically important piece of land in a disputed territory inside Bhutan, ahead of Sikkim.
 
The ceremonial BPM meetings are held at designated locations at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh and Nathu La in Sikkim on five days in a year including the national days of the both countries and some other culturally-important days.
 
The congregations between the two militaries are considered as one of the means to defuse tensions along the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control.