New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) Following the several rounds of discussions held between India and China under various mechanisms in the recent times, the first senior highest military commander-level flag meeting was held along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Vacha on the Indian side in Arunachal Pradesh on September 6 and at Damai on the Chinese side on September 7, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Tuesday.

Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the meetings were held following the understandings reached between the representatives of India and China and subsequent discussions at the Working Mechanisms for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meeting.

“Pursuant to the understandings reached between the special representatives of India and China in August 2025 and August 2026 and subsequent discussions at the Working Mechanisms for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) mechanisms that we have, meetings of which were held in Beijing and in New Delhi in May and August 2026 respectively, the first senior highest military commander-level flag Meeting was held at Wacha on the Indian side in Arunachal Pradesh on September 6 and in Damai on the Chinese side on September 7. A similar mechanism also exists in the Western sector,” said Jaiswal.

On August 25, National Security Advisor (NSA) and Special Representative of India on India-China Boundary Question, Ajit Doval, highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas for the continued development and progress of the bilateral relationship during the 25th Round of the Special Representatives Talks on the India-China Boundary Question held in Beijing.

NSA Doval and Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister and also the Chinese Special Representative and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission – held comprehensive, in-depth, friendly, and candid discussions on the China-India boundary issue and bilateral relations during the meeting.

According to the MEA, the two sides noted the progress made in implementing the important consensus reached between their leaders – Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping – in Kazan in October 2024 and Tianjin in August 2025. They also expressed satisfaction at the steady resumption of people-to-people and cross-border exchanges, including the ongoing Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and border trade through the three designated border trading passes.

“Under the strategic guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, and in a constructive and forward-looking spirit, the two Special Representatives had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the India-China Boundary Question, and agreed to continue their work in seeking a political settlement of the boundary question in the context of their overall and long-term interests,” read a statement issued by the MEA after the meeting.

“The Indian side highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas for the continued development and progress of the bilateral relationship,” it added.

On August 6, India and China held discussions on issues related to boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism‑building and trans‑border cooperation.

The discussions were held during the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India‑China Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi, the MEA said in a statement.

“The two sides engaged in frank discussions and reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Further, it was underlined that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations,” said the MEA.

During the meeting, the officials of the two nations agreed to continue to use existing diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander‑level meetings and other agreed mechanisms, to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the LAC.

The Indian side reiterated the need for early convening of the next meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans‑border rivers and stressed the importance of sharing technical details on upstream projects.

–IANS

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