Fri Dec 06 10:51:20 UTC 2024: ## India and China Agree to Further Ease Border Tensions

**New Delhi/Beijing, December 6, 2024** – India and China have agreed to take further steps to de-escalate tensions along their shared border, following the 32nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi on December 5th. Both sides expressed positive assessments of the progress made in resolving the long-standing standoff in eastern Ladakh, which began in May 2020.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that both countries will continue implementing the October 21st agreement aimed at comprehensively resolving the border dispute. This includes maintaining communication through diplomatic and military channels and taking additional measures to ease the situation on the ground. The agreement marks a significant step forward after over four years of military standoff.

The WMCC meeting, the first since the October agreement, focused on preparing for the next round of Special Representatives’ talks on the border issue. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas, in accordance with existing bilateral agreements. The Indian delegation was led by Gourangalal Das, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Hong Liang. Mr. Hong also met with India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India highlighted that both sides discussed lessons learned from the 2020 border crisis to prevent future incidents. The MEA also confirmed that the recent disengagement agreement, completing the resolution of issues stemming from 2020, was positively affirmed. The successful completion of disengagement from the last two friction points, Demchok and Depsang, paved the way for this latest round of talks. The next meeting of Special Representatives, led by India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, will be held as per the decision reached by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in Kazan.

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