India-China Border: From Disengagement to Dialogue, How Ties Have Moved Forward

India and China held the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs. The meeting was held in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs and Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department in China’s Foreign Ministry.

The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). They agreed that maintaining peace and stability in the border areas is important for improving overall India-China ties.

Both countries decided to continue using diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC and local commander-level meetings, to resolve pending issues and prevent misunderstandings along the border.

The meeting also followed up on the 24th round of Special Representatives’ talks. Officials discussed boundary-related issues, border management, ways to strengthen existing mechanisms and cooperation in border areas.

India also called for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers. It urged China to share technical information on upstream river projects.

How did India-China engagement move forward after the 2024 disengagement?

The latest WMCC meeting is part of a series of diplomatic and military engagements that began after the disengagement agreement in the Depsang and Demchok sectors in October 2024.

After years of tension following the 2020 Galwan clash, India and China gradually restarted communication through established mechanisms, focusing on maintaining peace and rebuilding dialogue.

Political Engagement Resumed at Kazan BRICS Summit

A few days after the disengagement agreement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal meeting on the sidelines of the Kazan BRICS Summit on October 23, 2024.

This was their first direct interaction since the Galwan clash and the first high-level political engagement after the LAC standoff.

During the meeting, India reiterated that peace and tranquillity at the border are necessary for normalisation of bilateral relations.

The Kazan meeting did not solve all differences, but it helped restart political engagement and provided direction for further discussions.

Border Dialogue Mechanisms Restarted

The process continued with the 32nd WMCC meeting held on December 5, 2024, in New Delhi.

Both sides reviewed the border situation and agreed to maintain regular communication through diplomatic and military channels.

They also discussed the importance of effective border management and preventing a repeat of the events of 2020.

Special Representatives’ Talks Provided a Framework

On December 18, 2024, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 23rd round of Special Representatives’ talks on the boundary question.

The two sides reached an understanding that included Maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border, strengthening border management mechanisms, improving confidence-building measures, continuing people-to-people exchanges and working towards a fair and mutually acceptable boundary settlement based on the 2005 political parameters.

Expanding Engagement Beyond the Border

In 2025, India and China continued discussions through various channels.

At the 33rd WMCC meeting on March 25, 2025, both sides reviewed the LAC situation and agreed to strengthen diplomaic and military mechanisms.

They also discussed restarting cooperation in areas such as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and trans-border river issues.

In June 2025, senior officials from both countries discussed improving political trust, implementing the understanding reached at Kazan and preparing for the next Special Representatives’ meeting.

The talks also covered civil aviation links, resident journalists, people-to-people exchanges and other bilateral issues.

More Steps Towards Normalisation

At the 34th WMCC meeting on July 23, 2025, India and China noted that peace and stability had largely continued along the border.

Both sides agreed to maintain regular communication through existing mechanisms to address boundary issues. The 24th Special Representatives’ talks on August 18-19, 2025 further expanded the engagement.

Both countries agreed to work towards a fair and mutually acceptable boundary solution, improve border management, strengthen existing mechanisms, resume dialogue platforms, restore direct flights and ease visa processes, expand Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, improve trade and investment cooperation and continue discussions on trans-border rivers.

Continued Process in 2026

The engagement continued with the 35th WMCC meeting held in Beijing on May 27, 2026.

The two sides discussed boundary issues, border management, mechanism building and cross-border cooperation.

India also stressed the need for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers.

What Has Changed?

Since the 2024 disengagement, India and China have moved from a period of confrontation towards structured dialogue.

The two countries have restored high-level political communication, restarted border mechanisms and expanded discussions beyond the immediate border issue.

However, the next stage remains more challenging. While disengagement has reduced tensions, issues related to de-escalation, troop deployment and patrolling arrangements will require further discussions.

For now, the focus remains on maintaining peace along the LAC while using established diplomatic and military channels to manage differences.