21st Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs

• The 21st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 12 March 2021. The Indian delegation was led by an Additional Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs. The Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation.
• The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector and had in-depth discussions on the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector. They agreed that the completion of the disengagement in North and South Bank of the Pangong Lake provided a good basis for the two sides to work towards early resolution of these remaining issues. They agreed that the agreement reached between the two Foreign Ministers in Moscow in September last year as also their recent phone conversation last month, should continue to guide the work of two sides. The two sides should continue their dialogue to reach a mutually acceptable solution for complete disengagement from all friction points at the earliest. This would enable two sides to look at broader de-escalation of troops in the area and work towards restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas. They also agreed that in the interim two sides should continue to maintain stability at ground level and prevent any untoward incident.
• The two sides agreed to maintain close communication and dialogue through both the diplomatic and military channels. In this regard, they agreed to convene the 11th round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date so that two sides could work towards complete disengagement from the remaining friction areas.

Context: India and China have activated the “working mechanism” at the diplomatic level.

This has been activated alongside the military-to-military conversation taking place at the field level to “dis-engage” and “de-escalate” the situation.

About WMCC:

The WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for management of India – China border areas, as well as to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation, including between the border security personnel of the two sides.

Composition: It is headed by joint secretary-level officials from both sides. They are entrusted to help the special representative for boundary talks, a position currently held by NSA Ajit Doval.

What’s happening now?

India’s assessment is that the Chinese are involved in what is known in military parlance as “holding the line”. While there is no agreed Line of Actual Control (LAC), both Chinese and Indian troops patrol up to their “claim lines” and then return. In the current situation, it appears that the Chinese have crossed their perception of LAC and are now camping at the spot in a bid to “hold the line”. This “holding the line” tactic is backed by a large number of Chinese troops — much more than ordinary patrols, which usually has 25-30 soldiers. This appears to give the impression that the Chinese are keen to dig their heels in.