Ajit Doval Arrives in Beijing for 25th Round of India-China 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 is scheduled to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his counterpart as Special Representative, on Tuesday. He will also call on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the talks would involve in-depth communication on the boundary question. The two sides will continue discussions in the spirit of common understandings reached by their leaders and work to keep border areas peaceful and tranquil.

The meeting comes after the 24th round held in August last year, when the sides exchanged views and reached several common understandings. China has described the current border situation as generally stable, while India has stressed that the state of bilateral ties depends on developments along the Line of Actual Control.

The visit occurs amid reports of Chinese troop activity in Arunachal Pradesh and ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's expected trip to India for the BRICS Summit in September. Both leaders are also due to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek next week.

The Special Representatives mechanism remains the main political channel for managing the boundary dispute that has strained relations since the 2020 Galwan clash and the subsequent military standoff in eastern Ladakh.