China and India hold further round of border talks along disputed frontier
- The two sides met to discuss a ‘complete disengagement’ along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh
- The border dispute has rumbled on for decades, with a deadly clash taking place in the Galwan Valley in June 2020
The 21st round of corps commander-level talks were held on Monday at the Chusual-Moldo meeting point on the Line of Actual Control.
China described the talks as “positive, in-depth and constructive”, while India said they had been “held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere”.
Both sides said they had agreed to keep communicating through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms. In the interim, they were committed to maintaining peace on the ground in the border areas.
The two countries have a long-running border dispute over a territory that runs for thousands of kilometres along the Himalayas, including a border war in 1962.
Since then, there have been repeated stand-offs and clashes along the Line of Actual Control, a loosely defined ceasefire line that stretches for 3,200km. However, they have agreed not to use firearms to avoid escalation.
The current round of talks began in May 2020, focusing on disputes along the western section of the line between Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin and Indian-controlled Eastern Ladakh.
Unreported border clashes between Chinese, Indian troops took place in 2022
But just a month after the first round of talks, the deadliest conflict between China and India in 45 years broke out in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, when at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese were killed in a skirmish.
Since then, the two sides have staged regular exercises in the region and built up troops and infrastructure, but have also emphasised the need to continue talking to ensure peace along the disputed frontier.
