China-India meetings positive: Experts

Frequent diplomatic and military meetings between China and India show both sides’ will to resolve border disputes mutually, analysts said after the latest border consultation meeting in Beijing held last week.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and India’s Ministry of External Affairs separately issued a statement on the 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on IndiaChina Border Affairs, or WMCC.

Both sides positively evaluated the progress made in the management and control of the situation in the China-India border area, and had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the ideas of work for the next stage, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The meeting was co-chaired by Hong Liang, director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and Gourangalal Das, joint secretary of the East Asia Division in India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

With frequent meetings by both sides, it can be inferred that both are determined to resolve border disputes mutually and want to avoid any escalation in the future, said Haans Freddy, a professor in the Department of Political Science at Madras Christian College in Chennai, India.

The two sides agreed to focus on the relevant issues on the ground along the border, reach a solution acceptable to both sides as soon as possible, and promote the transition of the border situation into a normalized phase of control and management, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

New Delhi said in its readout that the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views.

The last session of the WMCC took place in November last year. In February, two countries held their 21st round of Corps Commander level meeting.

Both sides felt the urgency to resolve all outstanding border issues without prolonging discussions, said R.S. Vasan, a retired Indian navy commodore who is now the director of the Chennai Centre for China Studies, a think tank.

It will take time to resolve the border disputes, but both sides should continue such talks, said Shankar Roy Chowdhury, a former Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.

China’s trade with India in the first two months of 2024 rose 15.8 percent year-on-year, making it one of the fastest growth rates among China’s trading partners, according to data from the China General Administration of Customs.

Over the past year, China-India relations have shown a positive momentum of improvement, Ma Jia, charge d’affaires at the Chinese embassy in New Delhi said at a New Year carnival on Feb 6.

“We hope the window for communications gets bigger, the platform of practical cooperation becomes larger, (and) the bridge for people-to-people exchanges will be rebuilt,” Ma said at the event.