National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is in Beijing for the 25th round of Special Representatives (SR) talks on the India-China boundary question with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, with the two sides expected to focus on de-escalating tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
According to government sources, Doval and Wang are likely to meet on Tuesday, with the talks coming ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit on September 12-13.
What’s On The Agenda?
- De-escalation ahead of Xi’s India visit: The talks are expected to focus on reducing tensions along the border and creating conditions for Xi’s visit to New Delhi.
- Border management and confidence-building: Doval and Wang are likely to discuss border management mechanisms, confidence-building measures and cross-border cooperation.
- Framework for the boundary dispute: The two Special Representatives are expected to explore mutually acceptable frameworks for resolving the boundary question.
- Expert Group under WMCC: Discussions are also likely on the Expert Group under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) and possible early steps towards boundary delimitation in appropriate sectors.
- Strengthening border mechanisms: The two sides are expected to examine border management structures, including General-Level Mechanisms in the eastern and middle sectors, alongside the existing mechanism for the western sector.
- 2005 boundary agreement: The talks could also review and seek to consolidate the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question.
- Peace and tranquillity along LAC: With recent reports of Chinese activity in Arunachal Pradesh, maintaining peace and tranquillity and preventing fresh tensions along the LAC are expected to be a key focus.
- Review of disengagement arrangements: Doval and Wang are expected to review the arrangements reached during the October 2024 disengagement and discuss the restoration of patrolling rights.
The SR talks are the “main channel for negotiations between China and India on the boundary question, and also an important platform for communication between the two sides on issues of mutual interest,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.
Lin said Doval and Wang will have an in-depth discussion on the boundary question as well as bilateral, regional and international issues. He added that the two sides would continue discussions “in the spirit of the common understandings between leaders of the two countries to jointly keep the border areas peaceful and tranquil.”
The talks assume significance as India-China ties remain in the process of stabilisation following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the prolonged military stand-off in eastern Ladakh.
Ahead of the talks, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated that “peace and tranquillity” along the border areas are a prerequisite for good relations between India and China. His remarks came amid reports of stepped-up Chinese military activity in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri region.
“I think we went through a particularly bad patch between the summer of 2020 and the autumn of 2024, and that was primarily an outcome of the situation in the border areas,” Jaishankar said at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum in New Delhi.
India has also repeatedly rejected China’s claims over Arunachal Pradesh. New Delhi recently termed Beijing’s move to assign names to 27 places and geographical features in the state as “vain and preposterous”, asserting that Arunachal Pradesh “was, is, and will” always remain an integral part of India.
Doval will also call on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during his two-day visit, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.