India and China on Wednesday held the 30th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi, days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. After the meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two countries have agreed to speed up talks on the border dispute, as reported by news agency Reuters.
According to the official statement, the two countries held “constructive” and “forward-looking” talks to resolve the border standoff.
Highlighting the “essential basis” for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two countries will continue to maintain peace and tranquility in the border-disputed areas.
The meeting focused on resolving the long-standing dispute over the Himalayan border, which has not been properly demarcated.
The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement, “Following discussions between the two Foreign Ministers in the recent meetings in Astana and Vientiane, the two sides reviewed the current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with an aim to find an early solution to the outstanding issues. Restoration of peace and tranquility and respect for the LAC are essential foundations for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. They agreed on the need to jointly maintain peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with the relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings between the two governments.”
Earlier on July 25, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang The talks took place in Vientiane on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings.