New Delhi/Beijing: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is travelling to Beijing on Monday, August 24, 2026, for a crucial round of India-China boundary negotiations with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as both countries continue efforts to maintain stability along the Line of Actual Control and improve bilateral relations.
Doval and Wang are scheduled to co-chair the 25th round of Special Representatives (SR) talks on the India-China boundary question on Tuesday, August 25. The talks come at a particularly significant diplomatic moment, just weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to India for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13.
Doval and Wang Yi to Hold 25th Round of Boundary Talks
Ajit Doval and Wang Yi serve as the designated Special Representatives of India and China for negotiations over the long-running boundary dispute.
The SR mechanism was established in 2003 to seek a comprehensive and mutually acceptable settlement to the border issue between the two countries.
The India-China boundary remains unresolved across several sectors, and both governments have relied on diplomatic and military dialogue mechanisms to manage tensions while working towards a broader settlement.
Tuesday’s discussions are expected to focus heavily on maintaining peace and stability along the border, improving border-management mechanisms and continuing work on de-escalation and delimitation.
Border Stability and De-Escalation Expected to Dominate Talks
Maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is expected to be one of India’s key priorities during the meeting.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has repeatedly stressed that stable border conditions are essential for the normal development of India-China relations.
The talks are also expected to cover:
- De-escalation along sensitive border areas
- Boundary delimitation
- Improved border-management mechanisms
- Military and diplomatic communication
- Confidence-building measures
- Cross-border cooperation
The two sides are also looking at mechanisms aimed at strengthening effective management of the border and preventing future confrontations.
Previous Round Produced 10 Points of Consensus
The 24th round of Special Representatives’ talks was held in New Delhi on August 19, 2025, with Doval and Wang Yi co-chairing the meeting.
That round produced 10 points of consensus between the two countries.
Among the key agreements, India and China decided to establish an Expert Group under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) to explore possible early progress on boundary delimitation in appropriate sectors.
They also agreed to create a separate working group to improve border management and discussed de-escalation through diplomatic and military channels.
The two sides further agreed to establish General-Level Mechanisms in the Eastern and Middle Sectors in addition to the existing mechanism in the Western Sector.
Preparatory Border Meeting Held Earlier This Month
The latest Doval-Wang meeting follows the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs, which was held in New Delhi on August 6.
During that meeting, officials from both countries discussed boundary delimitation, border management, institutional mechanisms and cross-border cooperation.
The two governments also agreed to continue diplomatic and military communication and jointly prepare for the upcoming 25th Special Representatives meeting.
This indicates that Tuesday’s high-level dialogue has been preceded by detailed diplomatic-level discussions.
Talks Come Ahead of Xi Jinping’s Expected India Visit
The timing of Doval’s Beijing visit adds considerable diplomatic significance to the meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to travel to New Delhi for the BRICS leaders’ summit scheduled for September 12-13, although Beijing had not formally confirmed the visit in the initial reports.
If Xi attends, the visit could provide another opportunity for high-level discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two leaders are also expected to have engagements around the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, adding to a period of unusually intense diplomatic interaction between India and China.
Doval’s meeting with Wang Yi is therefore being viewed as important groundwork ahead of possible Modi-Xi discussions.
India-China Relations Have Been Gradually Improving
Relations between India and China deteriorated sharply following the 2020 military confrontation in eastern Ladakh, which led to the most serious border tensions between the two countries in decades.
Since then, multiple rounds of military and diplomatic negotiations have been held to disengage troops and stabilise the situation.
Recent discussions have increasingly moved from emergency crisis management toward longer-term border management and improvement in bilateral ties.
At the 24th SR talks, both countries agreed that peace along the boundary was essential for the broader development of their relationship.
3,488-Km Boundary Dispute Remains Unresolved
India and China continue to dispute the alignment of their approximately 3,488-km-long boundary, according to Indian estimates.
Despite more than two decades of Special Representatives’ negotiations, a comprehensive settlement has remained elusive.
However, both governments continue to consider the SR mechanism an important platform for managing tensions and exploring a political solution to the boundary question.
The 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question continues to serve as an important reference point for negotiations.
Tuesday’s Talks Could Shape Next Phase of Relations
The 25th round of boundary talks comes as India and China attempt to build on recent diplomatic progress while ensuring that tensions do not return to the border.
Any new agreement on de-escalation, border management or delimitation could provide further momentum to bilateral relations ahead of the expected high-level engagements involving Modi and Xi.
However, a final resolution of the decades-old boundary dispute remains a complex and long-term challenge.
For now, Tuesday’s meeting between Ajit Doval and Wang Yi will be closely watched for signals on whether the two Asian powers can move beyond stabilising the border toward deeper political and strategic normalisation.
Source – The Indian Express / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China
Supreme News Network
