India-China standoff: New Delhi and Beijing agree to hold another meeting to resolve border dispute

India and China have agreed to hold another round of meeting to resolve the border dispute at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two sides agreed to hold the 14th round of military talks to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all the friction points along the LAC in the western sector in accordance with the existing bilateral pacts and protocols.

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The meeting will focus on the Hot Springs near Kongka La, which is a pre-condition for the Chinese troops to go back to their permanent bases. 

India also wants the restoration of patrolling rights in Charding Nullah Junction and Depsang Bulge. But the People's Liberation Army has displayed a belligerent attitude.

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The diplomatic talks take place under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC).

From Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh, India shares a total of 1,346-km-long LAC with China.

The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area in August and in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February.