Doval, Wang Yi hold border talks: India, China signal improvement in ties

NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discuss border peace and bilateral ties ahead of expected meetings between Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping

India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Tuesday held Special Representatives talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on the India-China boundary question and improvement of bilateral relations. Doval also met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

 

In his remarks at his meeting with Doval, Wang said the India-China relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and taken on global and strategic significance. “It is important for us to step up communication, to enhance mutual trust, to remove disturbances and overcome obstacles. We need to be good friends that enjoy good neighbourliness and be good partners that contribute to each other’s success.”

 

Wang termed his talks with Doval as “very in-depth and candid”, and hoped that it would help reach “new consensus.”

 

In his opening remarks, Doval said that normalcy in the India-China relationship has been a direct result of both sides maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas. The two emphasised delivering on the “clear and positive” direction given by PM Modi and President Xi Jinping to improve bilateral relations at their meetings in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024 and Tianjin, China, last year.

 

“I am very happy we are here for the 25th round of talks which are very important, particularly in the wake of the Brics summit to happen shortly,” he said. 

 

“The normalcy we have witnessed in our relationship has been a direct result of both sides maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” Doval said.

 

“We have extensively talked about it today just to see how to effectively reinforce and further consolidate our efforts to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” Doval said in an apparent reference to differences over the border and Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as South Tibet.

 

Doval also spoke about progress made by the two countries in improving people-to-people ties, including the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra via Nathu La and resumption of traditional border trade via all the three passes, which “brought tangible benefits for our people, particularly people living in the border areas,” he said.

 

During Doval’s meeting with Han, the Chinese Vice President noted that Xi and Modi’s meetings in Kazan and Tianjin have guided the bilateral relationship back onto a track of recovery and improvement. He said China and India, as neighbours, major developing nations and key emerging economies, should view and handle their relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective.

 

Doval and Wang are the designated Special Representatives for the boundary-talks mechanism, established in 2003 to comprehensively address the dispute of the India-China border spanning 3,488 km.

 

Doval’s China visit comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet at least twice in the next three weeks, including during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on August 31-September 1. Apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin, other key leaders slated to attend the Summit include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and leaders of the Central Asian Republics.

 

India is hopeful of hosting Xi and Putin for the Brics Summit on September 12-13. The Chinese side is yet to confirm Xi’s visit to India, but officials on both sides are optimistic.