India and China hold first Corps Commanders meeting in Arunachal
File photo of Indian Army patrolling near the India-China International Border in Arunachal Pradesh. The meeting was held at the Vacha-Damai border staff rendezvous point in Arunachal Pradesh. | Photo credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
Amid concerns over conflicting territorial claims and military build-up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian and Chinese armies on Sunday (6 September 2026) held their first Corps Commander-level meeting in the eastern sector, marking a significant expansion of the military dialogue mechanism beyond the Ladakh sector.
The meeting was held at the Vacha-Damai border personnel rendezvous point in Arunachal Pradesh amid reports of tension in the Taksing area of Upper Subansiri district.
According to Defense Ministry sources, Lt Gen Girish Kalia, Commander of the 3rd Corps (Spear Corps), led the 12-member delegation, which included the Inspector General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
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The talks are significant as the corps commander-level meetings between the two armies have largely taken place at the Chushul-Moldo border encounter in eastern Ladakh, especially after the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020. The meeting comes days before India hosts the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi from September 11 to 13, to be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The 3rd Corps, based at Rangapahar in Nagaland, is responsible for operational areas along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian Army has two corps formations responsible for the borders in the state – the 4th Corps based at Tezpur and the 3rd Corps based at Rangapahar.
The corps commander-level mechanism has so far been used primarily to address military issues and tensions along the western sector of the India-China border in Ladakh. The mechanism became particularly important after the clashes at Galwan, in which both sides suffered casualties.
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Since then, India and China have continued to use military and diplomatic channels to manage differences and maintain stability along the LAC.
The latest meeting comes amid reports of continued Chinese activities and alleged incursions in the Taksing area, despite two high-level engagements since July.
On August 6, the two countries held the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Issues. The 25th round of Special Representative (SR) talks on the border issue followed in Beijing on August 26. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval represented India, while the Chinese delegation was led by Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Central Commission.
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Both sides signed the eight-point outcome document after negotiations at the SR level. The agreement included a decision to establish two additional meeting points for border workers and new hotlines to strengthen communication and confidence-building mechanisms along the border.
According to sources, one of the newly proposed rendezvous points in the eastern sector will be under the operational responsibility of the 3rd Corps, while the other will be in the central sector. Sources clarified that Joshimath is not among the newly identified rendezvous points.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army is carefully reviewing its operational readiness along the border. Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth recently visited the 3rd Corps headquarters where the formation commanders briefed him on the operational readiness and measures being taken to enhance combat capabilities.
Published – 06 Sep 2026 21:17 IST