India and China to hold first corps commander-level talks at Wacha along Arunachal Pradesh LAC

India and China are scheduled to hold their first corps commander-level meeting in the eastern sector on September 6, at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point in Arunachal Pradesh. The talks will address ongoing issues along the Line of Actual Control.

India will be represented by 3 Corps commander Lieutenant General Girish Kalia. The Indian Army’s 3 Corps, based at Rangapahar, and 4 Corps, based at Tezpur, oversee the Line of Actual Control with China in Arunachal Pradesh. Indian Army sources said the force has adopted a firm position toward Chinese troops in the area where disputes remain.

The two countries have different perceptions of the Line of Actual Control, which has repeatedly produced friction on the ground. Until now, corps commander-level meetings have focused on the Ladakh sector and taken place at the Chusul-Moldo border meeting point since the 2020 Galwan clashes, in which both sides suffered major casualties.

The new meeting follows Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s visit to China, after which the two sides announced measures intended to maintain peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control. Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth recently visited 3 Corps headquarters and received briefings on operational readiness and efforts to strengthen combat capability.

India responded strongly during the Galwan crisis to what it described as Chinese attempts to unilaterally alter the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. It moved large numbers of troops and rebalanced the responsibilities of its strike corps for mountain warfare. The Wacha meeting now opens a corps commander-level channel in the eastern sector as differences continue over the boundary.