India China hold talks; discuss cross-border cooperation, Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra
PTC News Desk: India and China held high-level talks with key focus on de-scalation and easing border tensions and resumption of cross-border cooperation particularly on trans-border rivers and the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra.
Both countries decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, stopped since 2020, in January this year.
The 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing. The Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) Gourangalal Das while Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department represented China.
The discussion revolved around the situation along the Actual Line of Control (LAC), with both the sides agreeing that peace at the border is fundamentally imperative to maintain stable diplomatic relations.
Looking ahead, India and China agreed to start preparing for the next round of high-level boundary talks, set to take place in India later this year.
The MEA said peace and tranquillity on the border were critical for the smooth development of overall bilateral relations. “The two sides explored various measures and proposals to give effect to the decisions taken during the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question in Beijing in December 2024 and to advance effective border management,” it said.
- With inputs from agencies
