India-China annual border meeting cancelled after no invite from Beijing

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 1

In a significant signal, India and China will not be holding their ceremonial border personnel meeting (BPM) to mark China’s National Day on Sunday, October 1.

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The annual ceremonial meeting was to be hosted by China and conducted at the five designated BPM points across the breadth of the 3,488 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) — the de facto boundary between the two countries along the Himalayan ridgeline.

“China has not sent an invite for the BPM on October 1,” a senior functionary confirmed. At the last such scheduled ceremonial BPM on August 15 — at the peak of a stand-off between the two countries at Bhutan’s Doklam — troops on both sides exchanged sweets.

Beijing’s move comes just four weeks after the two neighbours ended the 73-day military stand-off. It will be keenly analysed in South Block — the seat of power in New Delhi. Security and strategic affairs mandarins in capitals like Tokyo, Islamabad, Washington DC and Moscow will also be watching the move.  

At ceremonial BPMs, Brigadier-level officers from both sides lead the delegations. The meetings are different from flag-meetings conducted to lodge protests of transgressions.

Ceremonial meetings are events for armed troops of either side to know each other socially. Normally, there is a lunch hosted and a cultural show. Mostly, the spouses and children of top officers also join in.

There are five such meeting points along the LAC and ceremonial meetings are hosted at all these points, Depsang in sub-sector north and Sappangur Gap (both on eastern Ladakh), Nathu La in Sikkim and Bumla and Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh.