India, China hold 23rd round of talks to maintain peace at LAC

A fresh round of high-level talks was held by the Indian and Chinese military officials in a bid to ensure peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The announcement was made by the Chinese Defence Ministry on Wednesday (October 29).

‘Active and in-depth communication’

The release stated that the 23rd round of Corps Commander-level talks were held on the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point on the Indian side of the frontier on October 25. There is no official word from Indian officials on the meeting.

"The two sides engaged in active and in-depth communication on the management of the western section of the China-India border," stated the release.

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It further stated that the two sides decided to continue maintaining communication and dialogue as decided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"They agreed to continue communication and dialogue through military and diplomatic channels under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the China-India border areas," stated the release.

‘Important consensus reached’

During the meeting, the Indian and Chinese military reached an “important consensus” with both sides agreeing to continue engagement through military and diplomatic channels.

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"They agreed to continue communication and dialogue through military and diplomatic channels under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the China-India border areas," stated the release.

The meeting is the latest in a series of high-level engagements between India and China aimed at reducing tensions at the border that started with the 2020 border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Galwan clash and bilateral ties

The 2020 Galwan Valley confrontation marked the most severe border conflict between India and China in more than four decades, leading to casualties on both sides. The clash significantly heightened tensions and pushed bilateral relations to their lowest point in years.

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However, relations began to improve following the 2024 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan during the 16th BRICS Summit.

Measures to improve ties

In August, the two nations held the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ dialogue on the Boundary Question and reached an understanding on several measures to enhance ties.

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These included forming a Working Group under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) to strengthen border management and maintain peace and stability along the border areas.

Both sides also agreed to utilise diplomatic and military-level mechanisms to advance discussions on de-escalation, beginning with defining key principles and modalities.

(With agency inputs)