India, China hold constructive border talks in Beijing, agree to prepare for next meeting of spl representatives

BEIJING: The 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in Beijing on Wednesday, with both sides describing the discussions as “constructive and forward-looking”, according to the official press release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

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

According to the official release, the two sides reviewed the situation in the border areas between India and China, expressing satisfaction with progress in maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border. They noted that this stability has enabled the gradual normalisation of bilateral relations.

The delegations discussed key issues, including delimitation, border management, mechanism building, and cross-border cooperation. The Indian side particularly stressed the need for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on transboundary rivers.

Both sides agreed to maintain regular diplomatic and military-level contacts through existing mechanisms, including those established under the outcomes of the 24th Special Representatives (SR) talks. They also agreed to work together on substantive preparations for the next SR meeting, which is expected to be held in China.

During the visit, Sujit Ghosh met Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong and made a courtesy call on Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei. Officials from both sides emphasised continued engagement as a key factor in sustaining stability in border regions and advancing broader bilateral dialogue.

Earlier on May 19, Consul General of China in Kolkata, Xu Wei, remarked on the advancing relationship between New Delhi and Beijing, noting the improvement in bilateral trade relations and people-to-people relations.

Speaking after attending a special session on Indo-China trade and development of North East, Xu Wei said, “Under the strategic guidance of both our leaders, China-India relations are now moving toward advancement. We are very glad to see our bilateral trade relations also making great progress. Our bilateral trade last year recorded the highest trade volume in recent years.”

Xu Wei encouraged businessmen to visit China to explore possibilities of cooperation, while noting the steps taken by the consulate to expedite the Visa process.

“We expect China-India relations, especially trade relations, to move toward a healthy track. We encourage the business community in East India to visit China more often. The Consulate General is always ready to facilitate any kind of request. Many people are concerned about visa issues because we have recently launched a new online system, which may take a little longer time. However, we have asked the VHS here to add more workforce, with two additional staff to help expedite the visa process. I encourage all businesspeople and individuals from all walks of life to visit China. If there is anything you need, you can write to us or contact us; we will be very obliged, honoured, and happy to help you,” he added.

Recently, India and China took several steps to improve their relationship after years of friction. PM Modi approved changes in guidelines on investments from countries sharing land borders with India (LBCs), including China.

An official release said that the Cabinet approved changes in FDI policy to provide for a definitive timeline for investments in critical sectors. It said the amendments in the FDI Policy aim to unlock greater FDI inflows from global funds for startups and deep techs, and take forward the agenda of ease of doing business.

India and China have also resumed direct flights, which had been suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Doklam standoff in 2017. (ANI)