China India File photo: VCG

China and India have agreed to work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues in the Western Sector along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at the earliest by staying in close contact and maintaining dialogue through military and diplomatic channels.

According to the joint press release of the 17th Round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting published by China's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday, the two sides exchanged views on the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector in an open and constructive manner during the meeting, which was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side on Tuesday.

Experts noted the joint release reflects the two sides' consensus in maintaining security and stability in the Western Sector along the LAC, saying negotiations on Western Sector issues are separate from problems in the Eastern Sector and will not be affected by the recent clash there.

The latest meeting was built on the progress made after the last meeting on July 17, 2022, the press release said.

"They had a frank and in-depth discussion, keeping in line with the guidance provided by State Leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest which would help restore peace and tranquility along the LAC in the Western Sector and enable progress in bilateral relations," said the joint press release.

The meeting focused on remaining problems on the Western Sector, including troop withdrawal and disengagement where divergences still exist between the two sides, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Qian said the recent incident in the Eastern Sector of the LAC along the China-India border will not affect negotiations on issues on the Western Sector. "The incident was far less severe than the conflict in the Western Sector of the China-India border in 2020, and both China and India reacted quickly and held a meeting to bring the incident under control."

Analyst said the situation in China-India border is generally stable. Despite the fact that specific problems still exist, both sides have willingness to solve them, they said.