India-China border issue: Ajit Doval to hold talks with Wang Yi in Beijing
New Delhi: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will travel to Beijing on Monday for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the India-China boundary issue.
Doval and Wang, who are the designated Special Representatives (SRs) for the boundary talks, are scheduled to hold the 25th round of negotiations on Tuesday, according to official sources.
Why the talks matter
The Special Representatives mechanism was established in 2003 to find a comprehensive solution to the India-China boundary dispute, which covers a 3,488-km-long border.
Although the mechanism has not resolved the boundary dispute, officials from both countries consider it an important channel for managing tensions and keeping communication open.
The latest talks come at an important time, ahead of the expected visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India for the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.
There is no official confirmation yet of Xi's visit. However, officials on both sides are hopeful that he will attend. If the visit goes ahead, it could provide an opportunity for Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet and discuss ways to improve bilateral ties.
The two leaders last met in August 2025 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin.
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Jaishankar stresses border peace
Ahead of the Doval-Wang talks, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said peace and stability along the border were essential for improving India-China relations.
Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum in New Delhi on Saturday, Jaishankar said relations had gone through a particularly difficult period between 2020 and 2024, largely because of developments along the border.
He stressed that the situation along the frontier would have a major influence on the overall relationship between the two countries.
His remarks came amid reports of increased Chinese military activity in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri region in recent weeks.
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China says border situation is stable
China has maintained that the situation along the India-China border is currently stable.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on August 12 that the border situation was “generally stable”. He also said the two countries had held the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs.
According to Guo, both sides agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels and work together to preserve peace and stability in the border areas.
India has also repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
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Arunachal Pradesh remains a point of tension
India and China continue to disagree over Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as part of “South Tibet”.
New Delhi recently rejected China's objections to India's decision to officially identify 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh using their standard names.
India has consistently maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of the country and that China's attempts to rename places in the state do not change that reality.
The upcoming Doval-Wang talks are therefore expected to focus not only on the long-running boundary dispute but also on maintaining stability along the LAC as both sides seek to manage their broader relationship.