India, China hold first senior military talks in Arunachal Pradesh amid border tensions
And China held senior military talks in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday, a rare move that comes as both armies deal with fresh tensions along
India and China held senior military talks in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday, a rare move that comes as both armies deal with fresh tensions along the Line of Actual Control in the eastern sector. The meeting took place at the Wacha-Damai border personnel meeting point on the Indian side, with peace along the frontier the immediate concern.
Lt Gen Girish Kalia, who commands the Indian Army’s 3 Corps based in Dimapur, led the Indian delegation. He met his Chinese counterpart and other officers at Wacha, described as India’s easternmost border personnel meeting point in the Kibithoo sector of Arunachal Pradesh.
Focus on the eastern frontier
The talks were held after reports of recent tension in the Taksing area of Upper Subansiri district. Indian troops have remained deployed in large numbers there to prevent any escalation. The meeting was aimed at addressing continuing issues along the LAC in the area. Short, direct. That matters.
The corps commander-level dialogue is significant because it is the first such senior military meeting between the two sides in recent months, and it marks the first time this level of engagement has taken place in the eastern sector of Arunachal Pradesh. Until now, the senior military channel had largely been associated with talks in the Ladakh sector.
After Beijing, a new round
Sunday’s discussions came days after India and China held Special Representative talks in Beijing on the boundary question. In those talks, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and pressed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the frontier for the wider bilateral relationship.
People familiar with the matter said the Wacha-Damai meeting focused on maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border. There was no official word from the Indian Army at the time of reporting.
Why it matters now
The timing gives the talks extra weight. They come amid reports of aggressive military posturing by Chinese troops along the LAC in Upper Subansiri, and after multiple meetings between local commanders in recent weeks tried to ease tensions on the ground.
Two additional meeting points and border military hotlines for the eastern and middle sectors were among the outcomes and consensus reached in the Beijing talks, a sign that both sides are still trying to keep communication open even as suspicion runs high. For now, the eastern frontier remains tense, watched closely by soldiers on both sides and by officials in New Delhi and Beijing alike.
