India-China talks to continue, WMCC meet on border expected soon: MEA

Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military officials will continue their meetings to take forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation as agreed to by the Special Representatives — National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. 

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the next meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) is expected to take place soon. The WMCC, set up in 2012 to address tensions along the Line of Actual Control, is headed by Naveen Srivastava, the joint secretary (East Asia) in the MEA, and Wu Jianghao, director-general in the Chinese foreign ministry.

Srivastava's remarks come four days after Doval and Wang spoke over telephone to discuss de-escalation progress at the LAC. 

"We remain convinced of the need for maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas and the resolution of differences through dialogue, at the same time, we are also strongly committed to ensuring India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Anurag Srivastava said.

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Earlier, the MEA had said that Ajit Doval and Wang Yi had a "frank and in-depth exchange of views" on the recent developments in the Western Sector (Ladakh) of the India-China border areas. The leaders had agreed that both sides should ensure at the earliest, complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity.

"The two sides should also ensure a phased and stepwise de-escalation in the India-China border areas. They re-affirmed that both sides should strictly respect and observe the line of actual control and should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any incident in the future that could disturb peace and tranquillity in border areas," an MEA statement on July 6 had said.

Chinese vacate Galwan

Soon after the talks, in the first sign of de-escalation of tension in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese Army removed tents and started to withdraw its troops from Galwan Valley. The Valley was the site of a violent hand-to-hand clash between the two militaries on June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Beijing had confirmed that its troops had begun to disengage from the area.

China's People's Liberation Army was seen removing tents and structures at patrolling point 14, the sources said, adding the rearward movement of vehicles of Chinese troops was seen in the general area of Galwan and Gogra Hot Springs. They said disengagement of Chinese troops in the area has begun as per decisions arrived at during the Corps Commander-level talks.

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