India and China reflect on ‘lessons’ from 2020 border clash 

The two nations have reviewed the implementation of agreements to de-escalate tensions along the contested frontier

Indian and Chinese officials conducted a new round of talks on border affairs on Thursday to review the progress made since a disengagement agreement reached in October, New Delhi has said in a statement.   

At the 32nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border affairs (WMCC) held in the Indian capital, the two sides “positively affirmed the implementation of the most recent disengagement agreement,” the statement read.  

“Both sides reviewed the situation in border areas, and reflected on the lessons learnt from the events of 2020 in order to prevent their recurrence,” it added. The delegations emphasized the importance of regular diplomatic and military communications through established mechanisms to prevent future conflicts. 

The meeting comes weeks after the two nuclear-armed neighbors announced an agreement on patrolling disputed border areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Himalayan border area where troops clashed in 2020.

The truce was announced on the eve of the BRICS leaders’ summit in the Russian city of Kazan in October. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held full-fledged bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit – their first such discussions in nearly five years.  

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During their meeting in Russia, the Indian and Chinese leaders welcomed the agreement for complete disengagement and the resolution of issues. Modi underscored the importance of “properly handling differences and disputes and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquility,” while Xi emphasized that the two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation, as well as properly manage differences and disagreements.  

The latest talks also follow a recent meeting between the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers, S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil. The ministers noted that the recent disengagement along the LAC “had contributed to the maintenance of peace and tranquility.” As part of further efforts to bring India-China relations back on track, the ministers discussed the possibility of resuming direct flights between the two countries to bolster trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges. 

Speaking at an event in New Delhi on Thursday, Jaishankar noted that the two countries have “managed to make some progress” on improving ties. “We have to now sit down and discuss with the Chinese what we do further... You know, there are no black and white answers in very sharp terms. I think everything needs to be balanced,” he said. However, the diplomat cautioned that while China remains a key trading partner, Indian businesses should take a “balanced” approach to doing business with the country as “excessive dependence” on its supply chains could harm India’s national interests.