29th round of diplomatic discussions between China and India is about disengagement in border regions

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official press statement on Thursday that India and China, who are experiencing border tensions, have been exchanging ideas on how to achieve total disengagement and resolve the difficulties along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of India-China border areas.

The 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was called to order by China and India on Wednesday in Beijing.

The conference was co-chaired by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Department and the Indian delegation, headed by a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) conducted its 29th meeting in Beijing on March 27, 2024. The Indian delegation was headed by the Joint Secretary (East Asia) of the Ministry of External Affairs. The director general of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Boundary & Oceanic Department headed the Chinese delegation, according to the press release.
“The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas,” said the statement.
After the conference, all sides decided to keep lines of communication open on the diplomatic and military fronts in order to protect peace and quiet along the border.
“In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace and tranquilly on the ground in the border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols,” stated the ministry.
In November of the preceding year, the WMCC held its 28th session. Both sides discussed the state of affairs along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the western sector of the border regions between China and India at this meeting.
According to a news statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), they had a candid, fruitful, and in-depth conversation on plans to settle outstanding problems and achieve total disengagement in Eastern Ladakh.
They also agreed that maintaining calm and peace along the border regions, keeping the ground situation steady, and averting any unfortunate occurrences were essential.
China’s “absurd claims” and “baseless arguments” about Arunachal Pradesh have been rejected by India once again, which maintains that the northeastern state is an “integral and inalienable part of India.”In an official statement released on March 19, the ministry of foreign affairs said that the people of Arunachal Pradesh would “continue to benefit” from the infrastructural projects and development plans of India.
Reiterating its claim to Arunachal Pradesh, the Chinese Ministry of Defence referred to the Indian State as “Zangan—an inherent part of China’s territory.”According to Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence, “Zangnan is China’s inherent territory, and China never recognises and firmly opposes India’s illegal establishment of the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh'” (March 15).
The Chinese military’s statements came soon after India firmly refuted China’s statements on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh.