India-China 8-Point Consensus Calls to ‘Advance Discussions on an Early and Substantial Harvest of Boundary Delimitation & Border Management’
The India-China Special Representatives-level dialogue has thrown up a bit of a doozy! Yesterday, I had covered how the readouts from the two sides had not mentioned the idea of an “early harvest”. Today, we see that the idea is back and then some.
The MEA has today issued a new document, outlining an 8-point consensus that has been arrived at. The big takeaway is that there is talk of not just an “early harvest” but a “substantial” one too. The statement reads:
“The Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and Working Group on Border Management under the WMCC would respectively advance discussions on an Early and Substantial Harvest of boundary delimitation and Border Management. The first task for both these groups would be to agree on their respective Terms of Reference.”
Unlike the readout from Beijing yesterday, this consensus document does not mention a “package settlement.”
In addition, it’s now clarified that the next meeting of the India-China Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers will be held in September. As I had covered in my newsletter yesterday, this has been something that the Indian side has been seeking.
Here’s the 8-point consensus:
1. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the guidance received from the leaders of the two countries, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and create an atmosphere for healthy and steady development of bilateral relations.
2. The two sides underlined their commitment to advancing negotiations on a framework for the settlement of the boundary question in accordance with the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question signed in 2005 and the consensus reached in subsequent SR Talks in pursuit of a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution.
3. The Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and Working Group on Border Management under the WMCC would respectively advance discussions on an Early and Substantial Harvest of boundary delimitation and Border Management. The first task for both these groups would be to agree on their respective Terms of Reference.
4. The two sides agreed that any situation on the ground would be addressed promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander‑level meetings and other agreed mechanisms, to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the LAC. The two sides discussed ways to improve understanding of LAC in appropriate areas, for better border management.
5. With the objective to improve the border management measures, an additional two meeting points were agreed for holding the General Level Mechanism/ Senior Highest Military Commander meeting (SHMC). Similarly two additional channels of border military hotline in the Eastern and Middle Sectors were agreed.
6. Both sides noted the progress on trans-border cooperation. The Indian side appreciated the efforts made by the Chinese side to increase the number of batches of Indian official pilgrimage Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra (KMY) in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Both sides appreciated the reopening of the three designated border trading points. The two sides agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in border trade, pilgrimage and other areas, with the view to work together to create an atmosphere featuring dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation in the border areas.
7. The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the India-China Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September and maintain communication on issues including hydrological data sharing, and renewal of the relevant MoUs.
8. The two sides agreed to hold the 26th round of SR Talks in India in 2027.