Ajit Doval Arrives in Beijing for 25th Round of Boundary Talks

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday for the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary question.

Doval will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his counterpart in the mechanism, on Tuesday. He is also scheduled to call on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. The two-day visit comes at China’s invitation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the sides would hold in-depth discussions on the boundary question as well as bilateral, regional and international issues. Beijing described the border situation as generally stable following recent working-level meetings.

The Special Representatives process, established in 2003, remains the primary channel for addressing the 3,488-kilometre disputed boundary. The previous round in August 2025 produced common understandings and agreement to explore early harvest measures through an expert group under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination.

Relations between the two countries have gradually stabilised since the 2020 Galwan clash and the prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Both sides have stressed the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control as a foundation for broader ties.

The talks occur against the backdrop of uncertainty over Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected attendance at the BRICS summit in India in September. Differences over Arunachal Pradesh and residual border friction continue to shape the atmosphere.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera criticised the shift from resolution of the dispute to management of it. The government maintains that the mechanism continues to serve its purpose of structured dialogue.

Outcomes from the Tuesday meeting will be watched for any concrete steps on delimitation, confidence-building or practical measures to reduce friction along the frontier.