India & China hold 20th WMCC meeting amid LAC faceoff, hint at 'stability on the ground'

Amid the LAC faceoff, the 20th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) took place on December 18. The developments along the Line of Actual Control were reviewed and both sides agreed to work towards ensuring complete disengagement as per the agreements reached between the respective Foreign Ministers and Special Representatives. Moreover, they acknowledged that the 7th and 8th round of military commander-level talks had contributed to ensuring "stability on the ground".

On this occasion, they consented to maintain the close consultations at the diplomatic and military level. On this occasion, the two sides also agreed that the next round of senior military commanders should be held at an early date so that peace and stability can be fully restored in the region. While the MEA's Joint Secretary (East Asia) led the Indian delegation, the Chinese side was represented by the Director-General of the Department of Boundary & Oceanic Affairs of the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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The LAC faceoff

The faceoff at the Line of Actual Control was exacerbated when 21 Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred in the Galwan Valley on June 15 when the de-escalation process was underway. This was followed by multiple attempts of provocation by the Chinese side at the end of August. Multiple rounds of military commander-level and WMCC meetings have taken place between the two sides to resolve the crisis. 

On December 11, the MEA made it clear that China had exacerbated the situation by trying to unilaterally change the status of the LAC. MEA official spokesperson Anurag Srivastava maintained that China had violated bilateral agreements on ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas. In a veiled jibe at the neighbouring country, Srivastava urged China to match its verbal commitments to peace with requisite actions. 

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava remarked, "The core issue remains that both sides need to strictly follow the various bilateral agreements and protocols in their entirety including the 1993 and 1996 agreement on maintenance of peace and tranquility along the LAC in the border areas which require that there should not be amassing of troops, each side should strictly abide by and respect the LAC and should not take any unilateral action to alter it. We have taken note of the Chinese side's statement that it observes strictly the agreement between the two sides and is committed to resolving the border issue and through dialogue and safeguarding the border areas. We expect the Chinese side will match words with actions."

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