The 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said. The WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas.
Friday’s talks were held in a constructive and forward-looking manner, the release said. Both sides reviewed the situation in all sectors of India-China border and agreed that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas is an important condition for the sustained growth of bilateral relations, it said.
Maintaining peace along the border and increasing military-to-military contacts were in focus when top officials from India and China met in Beijing for a round of official talks on the frontier for the first time since the resolution of the Doklam standoff.
It is believed both sides took stock of the situation along the border, especially in the aftermath of the Doklam standoff or Donglang near the Sikkim border, where troops from the two countries were locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation for more than 70 days.
“The talks were held in a constructive and forward-looking manner. Both sides reviewed the situation in all sectors of India-China border and agreed that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is an important prerequisite for the sustained growth of bilateral relations,” statement issued by the Indian embassy on Friday evening.
“In this regard, the two sides also exchanged views on further confidence-building measures and strengthening of military-to-military contacts,” it added
The Indian delegation, comprising diplomats and military officials, was led by Pranay Verma, joint secretary (East Asia), and the Chinese delegation was led by Xiao Qian, director general, department of Asian affairs in the foreign ministry.
The WMCC specifically focuses on maintaining peace and tranquility till a final resolution.
The body will “undertake other tasks that are mutually agreed upon by the two sides but will not discuss resolution of the Boundary Question or affect the Special Representatives Mechanism”, according to the agreement on the WMCC.