India and China hold talks on border issues
Senior officials from the two countries discussed peace along the contested frontier in light of the prolonged standoff
Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Beijing on Wednesday to discuss key bilateral issues, focusing on managing the peace along their contested border.
This meeting marks the latest round of talks at the level of special representatives and the first since 2019, as the nations seek to restore ties that have been strained after border clashes in 2020.
Doval led the Indian delegation in discussions aimed at rebuilding relations following an October agreement on disengagement and patrolling arrangements in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where tensions erupted in April 2020, leading to a deadly standoff between Indian and Chinese troops.
The announcement of a truce came on the eve of the BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan, where the leaders of the two South Asian countries, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, held an extensive bilateral meeting. It, too, was the first such meeting since nearly five years, according to New Delhi.
The border standoff significantly strained both diplomatic and economic ties between the two neighbors. India took a set of economic measures against China, including banning Chinese mobile applications, imposing stricter scrutiny on Chinese investments in the country, and introducing certain restrictions on imports of electronics.
Ahead of the meeting between Doval and Yi, the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed its readiness to collaborate with India to implement the key points of understanding established by the two leaders. According to spokesperson Lin Jian, it is vital for both nations to respect each other’s core interests and strengthen trust through dialogue. “China is ready to work with India to implement the important common understandings between the leaders,” Lin stated. He emphasized the need for “sincerity and good faith” to resolve differences and foster stable bilateral relations.
On Wednesday, Doval also held talks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, according to Xinhua.
India is willing to strengthen strategic communication with China, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and inject new impetus into the relations, said India's national security adviser Shri Ajit Doval when meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng https://t.co/K1cgnZlmzM pic.twitter.com/PBkk9t9h9r
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) December 18, 2024
Earlier this month, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar noted that the recent diplomatic engagement with Beijing have steered the relationship “in the direction of some improvement.” “Our relationship had progressed in many domains, but was obviously negatively affected by recent events. We are clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas is a pre-requisite for the development of our ties,” he stated.