India, China to hold boundary talks, focus on LAC peace

India and China are looking to fast-track the resolution of their decades-long boundary dispute even as they focus on confidence building measures to sustain peace on the Line of Actual Control in near term. Recently, the two Asian neighbours agreed to an additional border meeting point to reduce tensions in the Ladakh region. The meeting point is expected to be located close to Depsang plains in the Northern Ladakh region, which was also a point of contention when troops from both sides had a three-week face off in 2013.

While maintaining peace and tranquility on the undemarcated LAC is an important priority, special representatives of the two countries are expected to hold informal boundary talks on the sidelines of the July 8-10 BRICS summit in Ufa. India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is likely to meet China’s State Councillor and SR Yang Jiechi and discuss proposals to resolve the boundary dispute which lies at the heat of tensions between the two countries. The Chinese side is understood to have proposed a meeting of SRs, which currently takes place annually, every three weeks.

The SRs have held 18 rounds of talks so far, but without visible breakthrough on contentious issues. The negotiations are currently stuck in Phase II, which entailed the demarcation of a framework, which in turn will form the basis for the final delineation of boundary between the two Asian juggernauts.