India and China held a fresh round of border discussions under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on Thursday, with both sides engaging in what the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described as "frank" exchanges on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), boundary management and broader bilateral issues.

The talks come ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposed visit to India, a development being closely watched amid ongoing efforts by both countries to stabilise ties following years of military tensions along the disputed border.

Focus on Border Stability

According to the MEA, the two delegations reviewed the prevailing situation along the LAC and exchanged views on boundary delimitation, border management, institutional mechanisms and trans-border cooperation.

Both sides reiterated that maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas remains essential for the overall development of India-China relations.

The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese side was headed by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

India Raises River Data Sharing

During the discussions, India stressed the need for the early convening of the next meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers.

New Delhi also emphasised the importance of timely sharing of technical information related to upstream infrastructure projects, an issue that has remained sensitive due to concerns over Chinese projects on rivers flowing into India.

Existing Military Channels to Continue

The two countries agreed to continue using existing diplomatic and military communication channels to prevent misunderstandings and reduce the risk of escalation along the LAC.

These include the WMCC framework, local commander-level meetings and other established mechanisms aimed at addressing unresolved issues through dialogue.

Officials said sustained communication remains critical to maintaining stability in border areas.

Follow-up to Earlier Agreements

The latest WMCC meeting follows the 24th round of Special Representatives' (SR) talks, led by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

During those discussions, both countries agreed to establish multiple working groups to address long-pending boundary-related issues. These include an expert group for boundary delimitation, another group focusing on border management, and additional General-level mechanisms for the eastern and middle sectors of the border.

These initiatives are intended to institutionalise dialogue and reduce the possibility of future military confrontations.

Relations Improving, Challenges Remain

India-China relations deteriorated sharply after the military standoff that began in eastern Ladakh in 2020, including the deadly Galwan Valley clash, which claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers.

Following several rounds of diplomatic and military negotiations, both countries reached an understanding in October 2024 to partially disengage in eastern Ladakh, leading to renewed high-level political engagement.

However, several contentious issues continue to affect bilateral ties, including the unresolved boundary dispute, China's claims over parts of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, its continued presence in Aksai Chin, and broader strategic concerns related to regional security.

Diplomatic observers believe the latest WMCC discussions indicate continued engagement between the two sides, although a comprehensive resolution of the decades-old boundary dispute is expected to remain a long-term process.