India, China hold talks on border-related issues in Beijing

India and China on Monday held the 14th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border-related issues here.

The Indian delegation was led by Naveen Srivastava, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese side was led by Hong Liang, Director General of the Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides reviewed the situation in the border areas during the talks.

"The two sides also reviewed the progress made in the effective implementation of various confidence-building measures (CBMs) to further enhance mutual trust and understanding," an MEA statement said.

The importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas as a prerequisite to smooth development of overall bilateral relations was acknowledged by both sides," added the statement.

The two sides also took note of regular exchanges at the troops level and at the diplomatic level, including under the WMCC framework, for maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

The WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the management of India-China border areas.

It was also created to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation, including between the border security personnel of the two sides.

The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the WMCC at a mutually convenient date, according to the MEA.