India, China hold third meeting on border affairs

NEW DELHI: India and China are holding their third meeting on border affairs here on Tuesday 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 inLadakh.

“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,” a 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….