India, China Broaden Corps Commander Talks to Arunachal Pradesh Amid LAC Tensions

The Indian and Chinese armies held their first Corps Commander-level meeting in the Eastern Sector on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at the Vacha-Damai Border Personnel Meeting Point in Arunachal Pradesh. The meeting marks an important expansion of the military communication mechanism between the two countries, which has traditionally been focused on eastern Ladakh.

The talks took place amid continuing concerns along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including reports of Chinese activity in the Taksing region of Upper Subansiri district. Lieutenant General Girish Kalia, Commander of the Indian Army’s 3 Corps, led the 12-member Indian delegation. The team also included an Inspector General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Headquartered at Rangapahar in Nagaland, 3 Corps has operational responsibility for important areas along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh. Along with the Tezpur-based 4 Corps, it forms a key part of India’s military deployment in the eastern frontier region.

Until now, Corps Commander-level discussions between the Indian and Chinese militaries have largely been associated with the Chushul-Moldo Border Personnel Meeting Point in eastern Ladakh. The mechanism became particularly important following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, when soldiers from both sides suffered casualties. Since then, military-level communication has remained an important tool for managing tensions and preventing local incidents from escalating.

The latest meeting in Arunachal Pradesh comes only days ahead of the BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi from September 11 to 13, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to participate. The development also follows two significant India-China engagements held in August. On August 6, the two countries conducted the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs. Later, on August 26, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese senior official Wang Yi co-chaired the 25th round of Special Representatives’ talks in Beijing.

The August discussions resulted in an eight-point outcome document that included plans to establish two additional Border Personnel Meeting Points and introduce more hotlines to improve communication between the two sides. According to sources familiar with the arrangements, one of the new meeting points will be established in the Eastern Sector under the operational jurisdiction of 3 Corps, while another will be located in the Central Sector. Officials also clarified that Joshimath is not among the locations selected for the new meeting points.

The proposed arrangements are aimed at strengthening communication, reducing the chances of misunderstandings and improving confidence-building mechanisms along the India-China frontier. Such measures are considered particularly important in areas where military forces operate in close proximity and where differing perceptions of the LAC can lead to confrontations.

The Indian Army has continued to assess its operational preparedness in Arunachal Pradesh. Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth recently visited the headquarters of 3 Corps and received briefings from senior commanders on the formation’s operational readiness and efforts to enhance its combat capabilities. The development reflects India’s approach of maintaining dialogue with China while simultaneously ensuring that its forces remain prepared to deal with any emerging security challenge along the LAC. The expansion of Corps Commander-level talks to Arunachal Pradesh is therefore significant both diplomatically and militarily.

The move provides another channel for direct communication between the two armies in a sensitive part of the India-China boundary. At a time when reports of military deployments, infrastructure development and competing territorial claims continue to draw attention, maintaining effective communication across all sectors of the LAC could help prevent misunderstandings from developing into larger border confrontations.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from The Indian Express.