India and China have reiterated their commitment to maintaining peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh during a recent round of high-level military discussions.

The Corps Commander-level talks were held on 25 October at the Moldo-Chushul border point on the Indian side, marking the first such engagement since the Special Representatives’ dialogue between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in August.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the talks were held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere. Both delegations acknowledged the progress made since the 22nd round of talks in October 2024 and agreed that peace and tranquillity had largely been preserved in border areas.

The MEA said both sides would continue utilising existing communication and coordination mechanisms to address ground-level situations and maintain stability along the frontier.

The renewed military dialogue reflects a gradual normalisation of India-China relations, which had been strained for over four years following the border standoff that began in May 2020. The protracted confrontation eventually ended last year when disengagement was completed at the last remaining friction points in Demchok and Depsang.

Despite this progress, both sides still maintain around 50,000–60,000 troops each along the LAC, and full de-escalation in the region is yet to be achieved.

Following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi for the August talks, both nations agreed to a “stable, cooperative and forward-looking” framework. This approach includes maintaining peace along the border, reopening trade routes, and expanding bilateral investments.

The latest Corps Commander-level engagement was also the first meeting under the ‘General Level Mechanism’ in the Western Sector since the 24th round of Special Representatives’ discussions held in August.

Beijing’s readout from the meeting emphasised active and in-depth communication between both militaries regarding the management of the western section of the China–India border. It reiterated the shared understanding of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to sustain dialogue and cooperation through military and diplomatic channels, ensuring stability and joint safeguarding of peace in border regions.

The decision to revive several bilateral dialogue mechanisms, including this military-level forum, stemmed from the leaders’ meeting in Kazan, Russia, in October last year.

The reinstatement of these talks signals a cautious yet steady return to structured diplomacy between the two Asian powers—focused on trust-building measures, avoiding escalation, and supporting a long-term equilibrium along the contested frontier.

Based On PTI Report