China’s Defence Ministry announced that the Chinese and Indian militaries recently held what it described as “active and in-depth” discussions focused on managing and controlling the western sector of their disputed border. The meeting took place on October 25 on the Indian side of a designated border meeting point. According to the ministry, both sides agreed to continue maintaining open lines of communication and dialogue through established military and diplomatic channels to ensure stability along the frontier.
These latest discussions come amid ongoing efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to gradually normalise relations after years of military tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The talks were held under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC), a framework established to manage border affairs and prevent escalation during sensitive situations.
In July, the two countries had convened under the same mechanism, with China describing those interactions as “candid.” During that earlier round, both sides agreed to schedule another set of discussions before the end of the year. India’s Ministry of External Affairs later noted that peace and tranquillity had broadly prevailed across the border areas and that such engagements were essential for sustaining calm and advancing the gradual improvement of bilateral relations.
Ties between the two Asian powers have slowly recovered since the disengagement of troops following the prolonged standoff in eastern Ladakh, which officially ended in October 2024. In August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to China in seven years. Following the talks, Modi described the discussions as “fruitful,” highlighting a shared understanding between both nations on the need to preserve peace along the border and strengthen cooperation based on mutual respect and shared interests.
However, despite these diplomatic advances, a complete disengagement has yet to take place. Both India and China continue to maintain between 50,000 and 60,000 troops each along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The sustained troop presence underscores the fragile nature of the truce and the lingering mistrust between the two militaries.
Relations between New Delhi and Beijing remain shadowed by the deadly Galwan Valley clashes of June 2020, which marked the most serious confrontation between the two nations in over four decades. The skirmish resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops, triggering a deep freeze in bilateral engagement.
The continuation of structured dialogues, such as the recent WMCC meeting, signals that both sides are attempting to manage differences through negotiation rather than confrontation. Analysts suggest that consistent communication at both the diplomatic and military levels will be crucial in preventing future escalations and ensuring that progress toward long-term stability is not derailed by localised incidents or mistrust along the frontier.
