India China border / Maintaining ground level talks with China to avoid misjudgement: Centre

New Delhi: India and China have maintained communication to avoid any "misunderstandings and misjudgments" and achieve complete disengagement at all friction areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday.

Replying to a query on the status of talks with the Chinese side over the border row, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the latest round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) was held on December 18 and the two sides have agreed to hold next round of senior commanders' meeting.

"As you are aware, the latest round of WMCC was held on December 18. The two sides have agreed to hold the next round of Senior Commanders meeting and are in constant communication through diplomatic and military channels in this regard," he said.

"In the meantime, both sides have maintained communication at the ground level to avoid any misunderstandings and misjudgments even as discussions continue for achieving complete disengagement in all friction areas in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements to restore peace and tranquility," he added.

India and China are engaged in a conflict over territorial issues and aggression by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Ladakh. More than 50,000 troops have been deployed by India in reaction to the Chinese deployment there.

In the last WMCC meeting, both sides agreed to maintain close consultations at the diplomatic and military levels.

It said they agreed that the next (9th) round of Senior Commanders meeting should be held at an early date so that both sides can work towards early and complete disengagement of troops along the LAC in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols and fully restore peace and tranquillity.