New Delhi [India], August 28 (ANI): India and China will now work out how best to implement an eight-point consensus reached during the 25th round of Special Representatives (SR) talks on the boundary question, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, responding to questions on the recent talks between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the former's recent visit to Beijing, said both sides had agreed on an eight-point agenda and would now determine how it could be operationalised.
"The SR talks just finished in Beijing. Both sides have agreed on an eight-point agenda, and now it is for both sides to sit together and see how best it can be activated or inhibited," Jaiswal said.
Asked when the agreed measures would be activated, he said the two countries would have to jointly work out the modalities for taking them forward.
The 25th round of SR talks was held in Beijing on August 25, with Doval and Wang Yi holding a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the India-China boundary question.
According to the outcomes released by the MEA, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to following the guidance of the leaders of both countries, maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas and creating conditions for the stable development of bilateral relations.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to negotiations for a framework to settle the boundary question in accordance with the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, as well as consensus reached during subsequent SR talks.
As part of the agreed measures, the Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and the Working Group on Border Management under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) will separately advance discussions on an "Early and Substantial Harvest" concerning boundary delimitation and border management. Their first task will be to finalise their respective terms of reference.
The two sides also agreed that situations arising on the ground would be addressed promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander-level meetings and other agreed mechanisms, to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding or miscalculation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The two countries further discussed ways to improve their understanding of the LAC in appropriate areas for better border management.
Under the new arrangements, two additional meeting points were agreed for General Level Mechanism/Senior Highest Military Commander meetings. Two additional channels for border military hotlines in the Eastern and Middle Sectors were also agreed.
The two sides also took note of progress in trans-border cooperation.
India welcomed China's efforts to increase the number of batches for the Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra in China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
Both sides also welcomed the reopening of three designated border trading points and agreed to strengthen cooperation and exchanges in border trade, pilgrimage and other areas.
The countries said they would work towards creating an atmosphere of dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation in the border areas.
On trans-border rivers, India and China agreed to hold the next meeting of the Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September and maintain communication on issues including hydrological data sharing and renewal of relevant memoranda of understanding.
The two sides also agreed that the 26th round of Special Representatives' talks will be held in India in 2027.
The latest discussions come as New Delhi and Beijing seek to consolidate progress in managing the boundary question through diplomatic and military mechanisms while maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC. (ANI)
India, China to see how best to activate 8-point consensus from 25th SR talks on boundary question: MEA
