India, China add two new LAC hotlines

India and China have agreed to add two new border military hotlines in the eastern and middle sectors of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and to accelerate talks on an early boundary delimitation, a joint statement issued by the Hindustan Times confirmed.

Early Delimitation Talks

The Special Representatives - India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China’s foreign minister Wang Yi - met for the third time since the October 2024 understanding that ended a standoff in the Ladakh sector. They agreed to take forward an “Early and Substantial Harvest” of boundary delimitation and to address any situation promptly to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the LAC. The statement said the Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and the Working Group on Border Management under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) would advance discussions on these issues, with the first task being to agree on their terms of reference.

New Hotlines and Meeting Points

During the 25th round of talks in Beijing, the two sides also agreed to establish two additional points for meetings between generals and senior military commanders. In addition, two new border military hotlines will be set up in the eastern and middle sectors of the LAC to improve border management. The agreement also calls for any situation on the ground to be addressed through existing diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander-level meetings and other agreed mechanisms.

Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-Border Rivers

India and China will hold the next meeting of the Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September. The joint statement said the parties will maintain communication on hydrological data sharing and the renewal of relevant MoUs. New Delhi has expressed concern about a $137-billion mega dam being built by China on the upper Brahmaputra, which could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh.

Border Trade, Pilgrimage and Other Cooperation

The two sides appreciated China’s efforts to increase the number of batches for the Indian official pilgrimage to Kailash-Manasarovar in Tibet. They also welcomed the reopening of three designated border trade points and agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in border trade, pilgrimage and other areas. The agreement reaffirmed the guidance received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, and called for maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas while creating an atmosphere for healthy and steady development of bilateral relations.

The parties will also advance negotiations on a framework for settling the border in line with the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question and the consensus reached in Special Representatives’ talks. They agreed to hold the 26th round of Special Representatives’ talks in India in 2027.

The next steps will be discussed in the upcoming stats session, while the broader context of hydrological cooperation will be highlighted in the next fixtures meeting. The agreement also covers border trade, pilgrimage and other areas, which will be reflected in the next squad update.