31st WMCC conference between China and India to resolve difficulties

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Beijing hosts the 31st WMCC meeting between China and India.

At the 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in Beijing on Thursday, India and China engaged in a “frank, constructive and forward-looking exchange of views” regarding the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in an effort to “narrow down the differences” and find a “early resolution” of the outstanding issues, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Reaction to the Previous WMCC Meeting

Although there were no military discussions at the Corps Commander level in between the two meetings, the 30th WMCC conference, which took place on July 31, is held less than a month ago from this one.

Transparent and Prospective Conversations on LAC

"Building on the results of the WMCC meeting last month, and in accordance with the directives given by the two Foreign Ministers' meetings in Astana and Vientiane in July 2024 to expedite their discussion, the two sides engaged in an open, positive, and forward-looking exchange of views on the situation along the LAC in order to reduce disagreements and find an early resolution of outstanding issues. In light of this, they also decided to step up communication via military and diplomatic channels, according to the statement.

Dedicated to Maintaining Calm and Peace in Boundary Regions

Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary & Ocean Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed the Chinese mission, while Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA, led the Indian team. In compliance with pertinent bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings achieved between the two governments, both parties resolved to "jointly uphold" peace and tranquility on the ground in border areas. According to the MEA, "it was emphasized that the restoration of calm and peace, as well as respect for the LAC, are the essential basis for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations."

High-Level Consultations Between the Foreign Ministers of China and India Lately

S. Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, and Wang Yi, the counterpart from China, have met twice in the past two months: last week in Vientiane, Laos, and on the fringes of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Kazakhstan in July. They emphasized that there is a four-year military standoff at the LAC that needs to be resolved with "purpose and urgency." The two nations have been engaged in WMCC and Corps Commander-level negotiations in an attempt to end the standoff near the Ladakh–Arunachal frontier.