India and China held the 34th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi on July 23 with the objective of sustaining momentum on de-escalation and enhancing stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India was represented by Joint Secretary (East Asia) Gourangalal Das, and the Chinese side by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department. The meeting reviewed the situation on the border and welcomed the "general prevalence of peace and tranquillity," observing continued progress toward the "gradual normalisation" of bilateral relations, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.
The dialogue was centered on the progress of steps for efficient border management and maintaining stability along the frontier regions. The meeting is an extension of important understandings achieved during the 23rd round of the Special Representatives (SR) Dialogue that took place in Beijing in March 2024. During the 23rd round, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had agreed on a phased disengagement strategy at other hotspots, such as Depsang and Demchok.
The recent WMCC talks also prepared the ground for the next 24th round of the SR Talks on the lingering border controversy. These SR-level talks are the highest level of political forum for solving intricate issues along the border and will continue later this year in India.
The WMCC negotiations are the right moment strategically, after two large diplomatic trips undertaken in 2025. In January, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar went to Beijing, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had meetings with his Chinese counterpart at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' meeting held in April.
In spite of multiple rounds of dialogue and limited disengagements, tensions persist in eastern Ladakh, with some progress at particular friction points. Still, both nations reaffirmed their intention to continue dialogue and deter escalation through military and diplomatic means.
The 34th WMCC meeting reinforces the continued diplomatic efforts to contain the delicate border situation in trying to restore normalcy in India-China relations. The result shows how much importance both nations attach to dialogue as the preferred tool in resolving issues in one of the globe's most complicated and disputed frontiers.
