India, China Corps Commanders hold talks in Arunachal Pradesh

India and China were conducting Corps Commander-level talks in Arunachal Pradesh Sunday amid reports of recent tensions in the Taksing area of the Upper Subansiri district. Lt General Girish Kalia, commander of the Army’s III Corps, also called the Spear Corps, with its headquarters at Rangapahar near Dimapur in Nagaland, was meeting his Chinese counterpart and other officers.

The talks were being held at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point on the Indian side to address ongoing issues along the LAC in the area. Wacha is India's easternmost border personnel meeting point, located in the Kibithoo sector in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Indian Express first reported on Saturday about the holding of Corps Commander-level talks following multiple meetings between local commanders of the two sides in recent weeks to resolve issues. According to sources, Indian troops continue to remain deployed in large numbers in the area to prevent any escalation.

What makes the talks significant is that it is the first senior military commander-level talks between India and China in recent months amid tensions along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh. These talks follow a meeting in Beijing on August 25 between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who are the special representatives of the two countries for the boundary talks.

Moreover, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. Xi last visited India in October 2019 when he travelled to Mamallapuram near Chennai for the second informal bilateral summit of leaders.

New Delhi and Beijing have been trying to restore ties that plummeted after the start of the military standoff along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in 2020. India and China have held 23 rounds of Corps Commander-level meetings at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in eastern Ladakh to resolve issues related to the military standoff along the LAC.

The 23rd round of talks were held in October 2025, a year after both sides formally agreed on patrolling arrangements in the Depsang Plains and Demchok, the two friction points along the LAC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, and their talks resulted in the disengagement of troops from the friction points.

India and China have differing perceptions of the LAC, which has historically caused issues between their troops on the ground. On Saturday, former Chief of Defence Staff Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) commented on the Corps Commander-level talks and the establishment of two additional military hotlines, describing these developments as positive.

He said the boundary issue remains unsettled, and differing perceptions of the boundary, infrastructure construction and force multipliers create “the possibility of friction and escalation”. This, he said, requires vigilance, credible capabilities, clear agreements and consistent adherence.

Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies.

In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence.

She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More