India, China hold third meeting on border affairs

India and China are holding their third meeting on border affairs here today against the backdrop of recent Chinese incursions and the first since the three-week 'face-to-face' standoff in April at Depsang Valley near LAC in Ladakh.

'The meeting deals with all issues of peace and tranquillity on the border...However, this meeting does not deal with border issues as those issues are handled by Special Representatives on both sides. Also the meeting does not discuss Border Defence Cooperation Agreement since there is a separate mechanisms for that,' spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said here.

The two-day meeting of working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border affairs is led by Joint Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs Gautam Bambawale and seniors officials of Ministry of Defence and Home Affairs from Indian side and a composite delegation of officials from Chinese side, he said.

While the meeting will focus on how to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border and ensure better coordination and communication when incidents take place near the Line of Actual Control, sources said the Indian side is expected to raise the violation of status quo ante in Ladakh in April apart from the Chinese incursions thereafter.

The Chinese incursions came days after India cleared a proposal to raise 50,000-strong Mountain Strike Corps along the border with China, a major boost to the Army's war- fighting capabilities along the LAC.

The spokesperson also said that the meeting was part of series of regular interactions between the two countries.