The inaugural meeting of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission (BJC) concluded in Islamabad on Thursday, with both sides reaffirming their consensus and agreeing on a framework for future cooperation under the commission.

According to the Foreign Office (FO), the meeting was held in Islamabad on Sept 16 and 17, marking the formal launch of the commission. The BJC was envisaged under the 2013 China-Pakistan Agreement on the Boundary Management System.

“Both sides described the establishment of the commission as a vital milestone in further strengthening the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” the FO said.

According to the statement, discussions at the inaugural meeting covered a wide range of matters related to border management and cooperation, including cross-border coordination, the movement of goods and people, joint border surveys and people-to-people linkages.

The meeting concluded with the signing of the minutes, reaffirming the two sides’ consensus and setting out a framework for future cooperation under the commission, the statement said.

“Both sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the commission in China on mutually convenient dates,” the FO said.

The Pakistan delegation was led by Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary, Director General (China) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Chinese delegation was led by Li Ya, Deputy Director General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Other representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, defence, interior, commerce and communications, as well as customs, survey and other boundary management authorities, also attended the meeting.

The commission has its origins in 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 the implementation of border management arrangements.

The mechanism will provide an institutional framework for dealing with practical issues along the border, including the maintenance and inspection of the boundary, joint surveys, boundary marker issues, the management of cross-border facilities and the handling of incidents involving the border.

Its activation also gives the two countries a mechanism for regular coordination on a border that is important for movement between Pakistan and China, including thr­ough the Khunjerab crossing, and for trade and connectivity linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).