India and China convened the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ (SRs) Dialogue on the Boundary Question in New Delhi on August 19, 2025, marking a significant step forward in their ongoing efforts to stabilise and strengthen bilateral relations.

The dialogue was co-chaired by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was on a two-day visit to India. During the talks, the two sides held candid, in-depth discussions on the boundary issue and broader bilateral engagement.

A key outcome of the dialogue was the agreement to establish a Working Group under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs.

This group will focus on advancing effective border management in the interest of maintaining peace and tranquillity across sensitive frontier regions.

Both sides emphasised the use of existing diplomatic and military-level communication mechanisms to manage the boundary situation, with a view toward initiating discussions on de-escalation based on agreed principles and modalities.

Reaffirming their commitment to resolving longstanding boundary issues, India and China agreed that the settlement must be guided by the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles.

Toward this goal, they also announced the creation of an Expert Group under the WMCC to explore “Early Harvest” measures in boundary delimitation. An important structural advancement came with the decision to create new General Level Mechanisms in the Eastern and Middle Sectors, supplementing the existing arrangement in the Western Sector, with an early meeting to be scheduled for the latter.

Both sides reiterated that peace and tranquillity on the border hold vital importance for the overall development of India-China ties, and shared the view that the situation has remained stable since the previous round of talks.

In the spirit of strengthening people-to-people and economic engagement, the two governments reached agreements on resuming border trade through the three designated points of Lipulekh Pass, Nathu La Pass, and Shipki La Pass, which are crucial for local communities and cross-border commercial exchanges.

The reopening of these routes signals a practical step toward rebuilding confidence. Additionally, they agreed to revive direct air connectivity between India and mainland China, with plans to finalise an updated Air Services Agreement soon.

Facilitation of visas for tourists, businesspeople, media representatives, and other categories of travellers was also agreed upon, reflecting convergence on normalising exchanges disrupted in recent years. Both countries expressed determination to strengthen bilateral trade and investment flows through concrete facilitative measures.

On the multilateral front, India and China reaffirmed their shared support for an open, rules-based international order centred on the WTO and committed to upholding multilateralism. They emphasized the importance of working together toward establishing a multipolar world structure that safeguards the interests of developing nations.

Both sides took positive note of the progress made in implementing the consensus arrived at during the 2024 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. This included a commitment by both sides to ensure sustained adherence to the “strategic guidance” provided by their respective leaders in steering the future trajectory of ties.

Symbolising this spirit of balanced diplomatic engagement, the talks also addressed mutual diplomatic support. China welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin under Beijing’s presidency, while India reaffirmed its support for China’s SCO leadership.

In return, China assured support for India’s hosting of the BRICS Summit in 2026, while India pledged similar backing for China’s turn to host in 2027. The two sides also decided to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025 by supporting each other in a series of events.

Furthermore, they will revive official dialogue mechanisms, including the convening of the Third Meeting of the High-Level Mechanism on People-to-People Exchanges in India in 2026, and expand exchanges across social, cultural, and academic platforms.

In terms of religious and cultural engagement, both sides agreed to expand the scale of the Indian pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Tibet from 2026, strengthening one of the longest-standing spiritual and cultural linkages between the two nations.

Hydrological cooperation also emerged as a critical point of discussion, with both countries agreeing to operationalise the India-China Expert Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers. China committed to sharing hydrological information particularly during emergencies, acknowledging the humanitarian necessity of such coordination.

The 24th round of SR talks concluded with both sides underlining that a stable, cooperative, and forward-looking bilateral relationship serves their mutual interests, enabling both countries to fully realise their development potential.

They reiterated the need to manage differences responsibly while prioritising areas of convergence to move relations steadily forward. The constructive outcomes, ranging from border management to trade, connectivity, cultural diplomacy, and multilateral collaboration, highlighted an intent to reduce tensions and institutionalise mechanisms for cooperation.

With the decision to hold the next SR dialogue in China at a mutually convenient date, both leaderships signalled continuity in their effort to ensure peace along the boundary and foster a more durable framework for bilateral engagement.

Based On ANI Report