Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan and China have operationalized a long-pending joint mechanism for managing their common border, with the two sides describing the move as an important step toward closer coordination on border management, trade and cross-border connectivity.
The inaugural meeting of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Wednesday. The meeting was co-chaired by Li Ya, Deputy Director General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary, Director General for China at Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
The Foreign Office said the commission’s operationalization would provide a framework for enhanced cooperation in border management, joint border surveys, trade flows and people-to-people connectivity. The mechanism is intended to facilitate regular coordination on practical matters involving the shared border.
The commission originates from the 2013 Agreement on the Boundary Management System, signed during the visit of then-Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Islamabad. Article 45 of the agreement provides for the establishment of the joint commission to oversee implementation of the agreed border-management arrangements.
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Its responsibilities include maintenance and inspection of the boundary, joint surveys, addressing issues involving boundary markers, management of cross-border facilities and coordination over incidents along the border.
The mechanism is also expected to support coordination concerning movement between Pakistan and China, including through the Khunjerab crossing, as well as trade and connectivity linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The new commission is separate from the Joint Boundary Demarcation Commission established under the Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement signed on March 2, 1963.
The earlier commission had a specific mandate to conduct surveys, establish boundary markers, prepare detailed maps and determine the alignment of the boundary. Its work concluded after the signing of the relevant protocol and maps completing the demarcation process.
The 1963 agreement was signed in Beijing by Pakistan’s then foreign minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Yi. It also contained a provision concerning the possibility of reopening negotiations following a settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
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The 2013 agreement, by contrast, established a continuing mechanism for managing the already demarcated boundary and addressing practical issues involving boundary markers and cross-border infrastructure.
Under the agreement, if a boundary marker cannot be restored at its original location, the joint commission can determine an alternative location, provided that the boundary line itself is not changed.
