India, China to Chart Common Ground on LAC Perceptions After Beijing Talks

India and China have agreed to work on improving their understanding of each other's perceptions of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the boundary question held in Beijing on Tuesday. The consensus was reflected in an eight-point outcome document released Wednesday, a day after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met.

The document acknowledged that differing perceptions of the LAC in some areas have been a key factor behind tensions in both the Western and Eastern sectors. It said the two sides “discussed ways to improve understanding of LAC in appropriate areas, for better border management.”

Both sides agreed that “any situation on the ground would be addressed promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels, including the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC), local commander-level meetings and other agreed mechanisms, to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the LAC.”

Another key outcome was the decision that an Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation would “advance discussions on an Early and Substantial Harvest of boundary delimitation.” The process, starting with both sides agreeing to the terms of reference, is expected to focus on sectors where there are no pronounced differences in alignment.

The need to clarify the LAC has been India's long-standing position, aimed at reducing incidents between patrols in areas where claims overlap. The 1996 agreement on confidence-building measures noted the need for both sides to “arrive at a common understanding of the alignment of the LAC” and agreed to “speed up the process of clarification and confirmation.” Subsequently, maps were exchanged for the Middle Sector, but the process stalled in the Western Sector due to sharp divergences and was later abandoned.

In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his first visit to China, publicly called for resuming the LAC clarification process. Chinese officials, however, resisted, saying it would further complicate attempts to resolve the boundary dispute.

The most serious disruption to peace along the LAC since 1962 came in April 2020 with tensions in eastern Ladakh, underscoring the urgency of addressing differences over alignment, particularly in the Western Sector. Even in the Eastern Sector, in Arunachal Pradesh, differing perceptions were cited for tensions earlier this month.

At the ground level, both sides have informally addressed the issue through multiple rounds of talks between Senior Highest Military Commanders. Following disengagement from friction points in Ladakh, modalities such as no-patrolling zones and coordinated patrolling in contested areas were worked out, though details have not been shared.

Notably, the outcome document did not use the word “clarification,” a term with a contested history. Given that, a full resumption of the 1996 process remains unlikely. However, by giving political endorsement to improving understanding of the LAC, the two Special Representatives have opened the door for at least an initial process of comprehending each other's perceptions.