'Share data on river waters': India, China hold 'frank' border talks

In a recent round of high-level talks focusing on the border issue between India and China, the two nations engaged in "frank discussions" regarding the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Indian delegation emphasized that preserving peace and tranquility in the border regions is crucial for strengthening bilateral relations.

India reiterated the necessity of convening the next meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers, a forum established in 2006, and stressed the importance of sharing technical details regarding upstream projects. Following China's recent announcement of a massive dam project, India has been advocating for transparency and consultation with downstream countries concerning such upstream activities.

As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of trans-border rivers, India consistently conveys its views and concerns to Chinese authorities. The Indian government has urged China to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not jeopardized by activities in upstream areas. India has repeatedly stressed the resumption of hydrological data sharing and other cooperation related to trans-border rivers.

At the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), both sides agreed to continue utilizing existing diplomatic and military channels, such as WMCC, local commander-level meetings, and other agreed mechanisms, to address outstanding issues and prevent misunderstandings or miscalculations along the LAC.

Following the 24th Special Representative talks on the boundary question, India and China held detailed exchanges on matters related to boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism-building, and trans-border cooperation.

As a result of these discussions, both nations agreed to establish an Expert Group under WMCC to investigate early harvest in boundary delimitation within the India-China border areas. They also committed to advancing effective border management to maintain peace and tranquility in their respective border regions.