International
oi-Gaurav Sharma
India and China are set to once again discuss the disputed border, with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval meeting his Chinese counterpart Han Zheng in Beijing, on Tuesday.
The talks between the two foreign ministers take place ahead of the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on India-China boundary dispute.
India’s NSA Ajit Doval met China’s Wang Yi and Han Zheng in Beijing to discuss border peace along the LAC and bilateral ties, ahead of the 25th Special Representatives talks and the Sep 12-13 BRICS summit.
The priority remained to maintain peace and tranquility along the borders while simultaneously trying to find an avenue to boost strategic bilateral engagements with the world’s largest emerging economies.
Both the Indian and Chinese foreign ministry spokespersons said the two leaders exchanged views on maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and furthering economic, political, and multilateral cooperation. National Security Advisor (NSA) Doval, who arrived in Beijing on Monday for a two-day visit, has also met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for the latest round of boundary talks.
A Relationship Still Recovering
The meetings come as China and India try to normalize ties after the military standoff in Ladakh in eastern India, which began after the deadly Galwan Valley clash in June 2020. Although, both nations have de-escalated the situation to some extent, the border dispute is still an impediment to restoring their wide-ranging strategic relationship.
Moreover, the Special Representatives mechanism has served as a vital platform for bilateral consultations on India-China border differences since 2003. The talks, however, have not produced a definitive solution to the century-old boundary dispute.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the two Special Representatives would discuss the vexed boundary issue besides bilateral, regional, and global matters. He added that the mechanism has been the “main channel” for consultations, and both sides would adhere to the understanding reached by the two countries’ leadership.
Why the Timing Matters
Besides the border dispute and military standoff, India and China also hope to use the meeting to plan for the upcoming BRICS summit in New Delhi, scheduled to be held on September 12-13. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the event, and if so, he will likely meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two leaders last met in August 2025, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tianjin.
For now, India and China seem to prioritize stabilizing the situation along their borders. However, it remains to be seen if the bilateral relationship will enter a new phase of strategic engagement.
