India and China held a fresh round of high-level military talks on October 25, focusing on maintaining peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh through established dialogue mechanisms. The Corps Commander-level talks took place at the Moldo-Chushul border point on the Indian side, marking the first such engagement since the Special Representatives’ dialogue in August between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the meeting was conducted in a “friendly and cordial atmosphere,” with both sides noting progress made since the previous Corps Commander-level discussions held in October 2024. “The two sides shared the view that peace and tranquility have been maintained in the India-China border areas,” the MEA said in a statement.
Both nations agreed to continue using existing military and diplomatic mechanisms to address any on-ground issues and to uphold stability in the border regions. The statement reaffirmed that “both sides agreed to continue to use existing mechanisms to resolve any ground issues along the border to maintain stability.”
Over the past year, India and China have gradually moved to normalise relations after more than four years of military confrontation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The standoff, which began in May 2020, had led to a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June that year, severely straining bilateral ties.
The military face-off formally ended in October last year after both sides completed disengagement from the last two friction points—Demchok and Depsang. Following the completion of this process, both nations initiated measures aimed at rebuilding confidence and restoring normalcy.
The August meeting between NSA Doval and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi was a key milestone in this process. During that engagement, the two sides agreed to a “stable, cooperative, and forward-looking” framework for their relationship. This included commitments to maintain peace along the frontier, reopen border trade, and promote investment and cultural exchanges.
“This was the first meeting of the ‘General Level Mechanism’ in the Western Sector since the 24th round of Special Representatives talks held on August 19,” the MEA noted, underlining the continuity of dialogue since the diplomatic reset began earlier this year.
A statement from China’s defence ministry echoed similar sentiments, describing the talks as “active and in-depth communication on the management of the western section of the China-India border.”
The Chinese readout said both sides had agreed to maintain communication and dialogue as directed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “They agreed to continue communication and dialogue through military and diplomatic channels under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the China-India border areas,” the statement read.
Despite disengagement from the identified friction points, both countries have yet to fully de-escalate the situation along the border. Estimates suggest that each side continues to maintain between 50,000 and 60,000 troops in forward positions along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The continued presence of these forces underscores the lingering mistrust and the complexity of restoring pre-2020 normalcy.
While disengagement has reduced the risk of direct clashes, de-escalation—entailing withdrawal of troops and heavy weaponry to peacetime positions—remains pending. Military experts say this process will likely depend on sustained dialogue and broader political will from both capitals.
The latest Corps Commander-level dialogue follows a broader diplomatic thaw that began after Prime Minister Modi and President Xi met informally on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kazan, Russia, in October last year. The leaders’ brief interaction reportedly paved the way for the revival of multiple dialogue channels that had been suspended since 2020.
Since then, both nations have reactivated military, diplomatic, and trade mechanisms to manage their complex relationship. Analysts see the resumption of regular high-level talks as a pragmatic step, reflecting a shared interest in preventing tensions from escalating into conflict while maintaining strategic autonomy in their regional policies.
