India, China Hold First Arunachal Corps Talks
India and China are set to hold their first Corps Commander-level talks in the eastern sector at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point in Arunachal Pradesh on September 6, marking a significant expansion of military dialogue along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India-China Corps Talks Move to Arunachal Pradesh
The meeting will take place at Wacha on the Indian side, with Lt Gen Girish Kalia, commander of the Indian Army’s 3 Corps, representing New Delhi.
The 3 Corps, headquartered at Rangapahar near Dimapur, and the Tezpur-based 4 Corps are responsible for sectors of the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh. India and China have differing perceptions of the LAC in several areas, which have periodically resulted in friction between troops.
Recent reports have also pointed to tensions in the Taksing area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district, where local-level military discussions have been held.
First Corps Commander Meeting in Eastern Sector
Corps Commander-level negotiations between India and China gained prominence following the 2020 military standoff in eastern Ladakh and the deadly Galwan Valley clash.
Previous senior military talks were largely conducted at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point in the Ladakh sector. The Wacha talks therefore represent the first such Corps Commander-level engagement in the eastern sector.
Talks Follow Doval-Wang Boundary Meeting
The meeting follows National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s August 25 talks in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi under the Special Representatives mechanism on the boundary question.
India and China subsequently agreed to strengthen border-management mechanisms, including establishing two additional military hotlines in the eastern and middle sectors and creating new meeting arrangements for military commanders.
The latest talks come as both countries seek to stabilise relations while continuing negotiations over their unresolved boundary dispute and maintaining peace along the LAC.
