Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit India on August 18, 2025, for high-level talks with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. These discussions will take place under the Special Representatives mechanism, a key diplomatic channel specifically focused on the boundary question between India and China.

The dialogue aims to address the ongoing border situation, the stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and broader regional security concerns.

Wang Yi's visit comes at a crucial time ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned trip to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, scheduled from August 31 to September 1, 2025, in Tianjin. Modi's visit to China will be his first since the deadly military clashes in Ladakh in 2020 that severely strained India-China relations.

This upcoming meeting between Wang Yi and Ajit Doval follows their last engagement in June 2025 during the SCO NSA meeting in China. The Special Representatives mechanism, with Wang Yi representing China and Doval representing India, was reinstated to revive diplomatic and military discussions after years of tension following the 2020 border incidents.

Recent months have seen a thaw with positive measures such as disengagement from friction points in eastern Ladakh (Depsang and Demchok areas), resumption of pilgrimages (Kailash Mansarovar Yatra), reopening of tourist visas, and attempts to restore trade and economic relations.

The August 18 talks are expected to focus intensely on measures to maintain peace and stability along the LAC, manage any ongoing border incidents, and improve communication to avoid future conflicts.

These discussions will also serve as preparatory groundwork for the broader bilateral engagements anticipated during Modi’s SCO visit, where Modi is likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The overall diplomatic tone is cautiously optimistic, reflecting efforts to move away from confrontation towards dialogue and cooperation despite residual wariness from previous clashes. Additionally, the talks are happening in the context of shifting global dynamics, including U.S. tariffs and trade tensions involving both India and China, which may influence bilateral cooperation.

Wang Yi’s August 18 visit to India for border talks with NSA Ajit Doval represents a significant step in the ongoing process to stabilize and improve India-China relations, particularly focused on border stability and preparing for high-level diplomatic interactions at the SCO summit later that month.

Agencies