India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, who also holds the position of India’s Special Representative on the border issue, landed in Beijing on Monday for a two-day official trip. His visit, made at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, is primarily aimed at participating in the 25th round of the Special Representatives’ dialogue focused on the India-China boundary dispute.
As per a release from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Doval and Wang Yi—who serves as China’s Special Representative, are set to conduct this latest round of boundary talks on Tuesday.
During his time in the Chinese capital, the NSA is also expected to meet with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.
This high-level engagement follows closely on the heels of a previous bilateral interaction earlier in the month. On August 6, the two countries convened the 36th session of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi.
The MEA reported that these discussions covered a broad spectrum of issues, including boundary demarcation, border administration, the establishment of relevant mechanisms, and trans-border cooperative efforts.
The MEA further noted that the August 6 meeting featured candid conversations, during which the representatives reviewed the current ground situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Both sides firmly reiterated that upholding peace and stability in the frontier regions remains a prerequisite for the healthy progression of their overall bilateral relationship.
The Indian delegation at that WMCC meeting was headed by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the MEA, while the Chinese side was led by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department. The officials concurred on the necessity of continuing to utilize existing diplomatic and military frameworks, including the WMCC, local commander-level interactions, and other mutually agreed platforms, to address outstanding disputes and avert any misinterpretations or unintended incidents along the LAC.
According to the MEA, the August discussions also served as a follow-up to the conclusions reached during the 24th SR Talks, with both sides exchanging comprehensive views on the boundary-related subjects.
Additionally, the Indian contingent stressed the importance of convening the next meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers at the earliest opportunity, while also highlighting the critical need for the sharing of technical information regarding upstream river projects.
