Indian and Chinese military officials met over the weekend to discuss their ongoing border dispute before a meeting of defense ministers at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization session later this week. The two nations share a 3,488 km-long disputed border, and have been embroiled in their worst dispute in 40 years since the summer of 2020. Despite previous meetings and talks, progress has been slow, with both sides amassing troops and artillery along the border. The latest talks focused on deescalation and disengagement, with India wanting troops to pull back from friction points and return to their home bases, while Beijing wants additional troops and hardware to return to barracks, leaving disputed areas to be discussed later.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, confirmed that the talks had taken place, saying that both sides had "held an in-depth exchange of views on expediting the resolution of relevant issues." However, neither India's Defense nor External Affairs Ministries have commented on the talks.
The talks precede a meeting of defense ministers from both sides, along with their counterparts from Russia, Pakistan, and Central Asian nations such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The meeting is expected to take place later this week, with India hosting the SCO summit this year, as well as the Group of 20 nations.
The flat Tibetan plateau allows China to mobilize troops quickly, while Indian troops must negotiate high-altitude mountain passes and ridges, making New Delhi reluctant to agree to Beijing's prescription. Despite the talks, it remains unclear whether progress will be made on resolving the ongoing border dispute.