Indian, Chinese diplomats to talk again 'soon' on ways to end stand-off

Diplomats would focus on ensuring stability along the LAC, according to sources

The diplomats of India and China are likely to hold a videoconference soon to discuss next steps towards resolving the military stand-off along the disputed boundary between the two nations in eastern Ladakh.

New Delhi and Beijing are in touch to schedule the 19th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs or the WMCC, sources told DH.

Naveen Srivastava, who heads the East Asia division at the Ministry of External Affairs, will lead the Indian delegation and Chinese side will be lead by Hong Liang, the Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the conference.

Srivastava and Hong earlier had as many as four videoconference meetings within the framework of the WMCC on June 24, July 10, July 24 and August 20 to resolve the current military stand-off along the disputed boundary between the two nations in eastern Ladakh.

The senior military commanders of India and China will also hold the seventh round of meeting on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) soon.

A source in New Delhi said that the forthcoming talks between the senior military commanders of the two sides and the videoconference between Indian and Chinese diplomats would focus on ensuring stability along the LAC – the de facto border between the two nations – and to restart the stalled process of pulling back troops from the face-off points.

Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 14 Corps of the Indian Army, and Maj Gen Liu Lin of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had a more-than-14-hour-long meeting on the LAC – the de facto boundary between the two nations in the western sector – on September 21.

They agreed to stop sending more soldiers to the face-off points along the disputed boundary between the two nations in eastern Ladakh, but could not end the stalemate over withdrawal of large numbers of troops the two sides already deployed since the stand-off started.

Srivastava also participated in the meeting on September 21. So did his counterparts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Government.