Beijing: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Tuesday, with the two sides discussing measures to preserve peace and tranquillity along the border and expand cooperation between India and China.
Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday for a two-day visit during which he is scheduled to participate in the Special Representatives’ dialogue on the India-China boundary issue. His Chinese counterpart in the mechanism is Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The Indian Embassy in China said in a post on X that Doval and Han examined ways to maintain stability in the border areas and strengthen bilateral relations in the economic, political and multilateral fields. The discussions were held in accordance with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries.
Doval and Wang are scheduled to hold the 25th round of the Special Representatives’ talks later on Tuesday.
Dialogue Before BRICS Summit
The meeting comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on September 12 and 13. Xi’s visit could pave the way for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit, where the two leaders may discuss steps to take bilateral relations forward.
The talks are also taking place amid continuing disagreements over the boundary issue and Arunachal Pradesh, both of which remain key points of tension in India-China ties.
Relations between the two countries suffered a major setback after the 2020 clash in Galwan Valley and the prolonged military stand-off in eastern Ladakh. Since then, New Delhi and Beijing have taken several steps to reduce tensions and bring greater stability to their relationship.
Doval and Wang are the designated Special Representatives for the boundary negotiations, a mechanism established in 2003 to seek a comprehensive solution to the 3,488-km India-China border dispute. While the process has not resolved the dispute, officials regard the dialogue as a valuable institutional arrangement for managing tensions and sustaining contact between the two countries.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian announced the talks at a media briefing in Beijing on Monday but avoided giving a direct response to a question on Xi’s possible India visit.
Modi and Xi last met in August 2025 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin.
China Details Discussion Points
Referring to the upcoming meeting, Lin said Doval and Wang would conduct an in-depth review of the boundary question and discuss bilateral, regional and international developments.
He described the Special Representatives’ dialogue as the “main channel” for India-China negotiations on the boundary issue and an important forum for communication on matters of mutual interest.
The 24th round of talks was held in August last year. During that meeting, the two countries held candid and detailed discussions on the boundary question and reached several common understandings, Lin said.
He said the two sides would continue their detailed engagement during the latest round in the spirit of the understanding reached by their leaders, with the shared objective of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border.
The delegations would also exchange views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues, he added.