Now Reading: India, China hold frank border talks, discuss river data sharing
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India, China hold frank border talks, discuss river data sharing
India and China held the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi on August 6. The two sides had “frank discussions”…
The Story in Brief
India and China held the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi on August 6. The two sides had “frank discussions” on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and agreed that maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas is essential for bilateral ties. India reiterated the need for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers and stressed sharing of technical details on upstream projects. Both sides agreed to continue using diplomatic and military channels, including local commander-level meetings, to resolve outstanding issues and avoid miscalculation along the LAC. The meeting followed up on the 24th Special Representative talks on the boundary question.
The Indian Opinion
The usual narrative that India-China border talks are mere theatre misses the point. Both sides keep meeting, keep talking, and keep the military channels open, that itself is a form of progress. The exaggerated claim that China ignores India’s river concerns is also not fully backed: India is steadily pushing for data sharing and early Expert Level Mechanism meetings. A concrete test: will China share hydrological data for the mega dam before the next WMCC? That will show if talk translates into transparency.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, greaterkashmir.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
