Doval and Wang complete 25th border talks in Beijing, cite clear direction from Modi and Xi

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said in Beijing on 25 August 2026 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have given a clear and positive direction to India-China relations, which are steadily returning to normalcy.

Doval held the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the boundary question with Chinese Foreign Minister and Politburo member Wang Yi. The two spent more than 90 minutes in small-group discussions that both sides called detailed, then moved to larger delegation talks.

Earlier the same day Doval called on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. The Indian Embassy in Beijing reported that they discussed ways to strengthen peace and tranquillity in the border areas and to improve bilateral relations across economic, political and multilateral forums, in line with the consensus reached by the two leaders.

Han, according to Xinhua, said China and India should view bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective and work together to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders. He called for enhanced strategic mutual trust, expanded cooperation, close multilateral coordination and proper management of differences.

Doval told his Chinese counterpart that as the world's two most populous and fastest-growing major economies, India and China have a historic opportunity for cooperation. India stands ready to work with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly address the boundary question and make new progress in bilateral relations.

The Special Representatives mechanism was established in 2003 to address the 3,488 km boundary dispute comprehensively. Doval is India's Special Representative; Wang serves as China's. The previous round took place when Wang visited India in 2025.

The talks occur weeks before the BRICS Summit that India will host on 12-13 September 2026. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend, which would mark his first visit to India in seven years and open the possibility of another Modi-Xi meeting.

Relations deteriorated sharply after the June 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley and the subsequent military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Disengagement agreements reached in October 2024 began a gradual normalisation. Both sides have since held Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination meetings, including one on 6 August 2026 that reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control and exchanged views on boundary delimitation, border management and mechanism-building.

Chinese strategic affairs scholar Hu Shisheng said ahead of the talks that the focus would be on institutionalising stability even while structural differences remain. The two sides continue to explore early-harvest agreements in some sectors while a full framework for settlement remains under discussion.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has repeatedly stated that peace and tranquillity along the border areas are a prerequisite for the overall relationship. The latest round keeps that requirement at the centre while both capitals prepare for the September summit.

Whether the talks produce concrete steps on patrolling rights, additional general-level mechanisms in the eastern and middle sectors, or further confidence-building measures will become clearer in the coming days. For now the public statements from both sides emphasise continuity of the positive direction set by the leaders and the need to keep the border quiet.