India, China agree to hold talks, keep all channels of communication open to resolve border dispute

Beijing: India and China on Tuesday (September 22, 2020) agreed to continue talks and their discussion to amicably resolve the border dispute between the two countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the sixth round of corps commander-level talks with India was held on September 21 wherein both countries agreed to engage themselves in meaningful discussions to resolve all issues.

China’s state-run Global Times quoted Spokesperson Wang Wenbin as saying, "China and India held the 6th round of corps commander-level talks yesterday, in which the two sides exchanged their views on the current border situation before agreeing to continue talking and discussing on the issue."

14 Corps Chief Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his likely successor Lt Gen PGK Menon along with a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had attended the meeting from the Indian side at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The meeting started on Monday at around 10 am and went on till 11 pm.

The Corps Commanders of the two sides met after more than a month as both sides had been engaged in at least three firing incidents that have taken place along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). 

The Corps Commanders met at the Moldo hut opposite Chushul on the Indian side. 

Prior to the meeting, the agenda and issues of the Indian side were discussed and finalized during a high-level meeting attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, last week on Friday.

The talks happened at a time when the Indian side has also occupied six major hill features which are helping the Indian Army to be in dominating positions on heights.