In an effort to resolve their boundary dispute, Special Representatives from India and China, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, will meet in Beijing on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the two Special Representatives will discuss the management of peace and tranquility in the border areas and explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
“Shri Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor and India’s Special Representative (SR) on the India-China boundary question, will hold the 23rd meeting of the SRs in Beijing on 18 December 2024 with his Chinese counterpart H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China,” the MEA statement said.
In October, during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to revive several mechanisms, including the Special Representatives’ meetings, to address the border dispute and normalize bilateral relations.
“As agreed during the meeting of the two leaders in Kazan on 23 October 2024, the two SRs will discuss the management of peace & tranquility in the border areas and explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question,” the MEA statement added.
On December 5, India and China held the 32nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), reaffirming their commitment to maintaining peace and tranquility along the disputed border, in line with previous bilateral agreements and protocols.
“They also prepared for the next meeting of the Special Representatives, which is to be held in accordance with the decision of the two leaders in their meeting in Kazan on October 23,” the MEA said.
The border standoff between India and China began in eastern Ladakh in 2020, triggered by Chinese military actions, and has since caused prolonged tensions, significantly straining bilateral relations.
On December 3, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to engaging China through bilateral discussions to achieve a fair and mutually acceptable boundary settlement.
He noted that during a recent meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, an understanding was reached to convene the Special Representatives and Foreign Secretary-level mechanisms soon.
Briefing the Lok Sabha on India-China ties and disengagement at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Jaishankar said that bilateral relations have been “abnormal” since 2020, following disturbances in peace and tranquility due to Chinese actions.
“Recent developments that reflect our continuous diplomatic engagement since then have set our ties in the direction of some improvement,” he said. “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. In the coming days, we will be discussing both de-escalation as well as effective management of our activities in the border areas.”
Jaishankar added that the conclusion of the disengagement phase “now allows us to consider other aspects of our bilateral engagement in a calibrated manner, keeping our national security interests first and foremost.”
(With ANI input)