Indian Army personnel met their Chinese counterpart in a special border personnel meeting held on the occasion of India's Independence Day at the historic Maitri Sthal, located at an altitude of about 15,000 feet near the strategic Bum La pass near Chian border in Arunachal Pradesh, on Sunday.
The event was hosted by the Indian Army troops deployed on the border.
Families of the Indian Army and China's People's Liberation Army soldiers and locals from both sides of the border attended the meeting, according to a Defence source.
The BPMs between the security forces of the two neighbours serve as a platform for resolving local issues and fostering confidence with a view to promoting peace and tranquility on the frontier.
A large contingent of the Chinese Army personnel along with their families crossed over to the Indian side to be part of the Indian Independence Day celebrations.
Brigadier Sudhakar Jee, the delegation leader of the Indian Army, received the Chinese delegation led by Colonel Tan Guang Rong at the Maitri Sthal.
A large number of civilian visitors from both sides also participated in the festivities marked by furling of the flags of the two countries and thereafter by an enthralling cultural programme.
The Chinese guests were treated with chosen Indian delicacies.
Despite the language barrier, participants from both sides interacted with each other in a free and cordial environment and cheerfully posed for photographs to cement the memories.
They also paid homage to the victims of recent floods and landslides on both sides of the border.
