Ajit Doval and Wang Yi held talks on the India-China boundary dispute and bilateral ties, with the meeting coming ahead of Xi Jinping’s possible visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit.
Beijing: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday held talks under the India-China Special Representatives mechanism, focusing on the long-running boundary dispute and ways to improve bilateral relations.
The talks come ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on September 12-13. They also take place amid continuing differences between the two countries over the border, including Arunachal Pradesh.
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Doval meets Chinese Vice President
Before the talks, Doval, who arrived in Beijing on Monday for a two-day visit, met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.
According to the Indian Embassy, the two discussed strengthening peace and tranquillity along the border and improving bilateral ties across economic, political and multilateral platforms, in line with agreements reached by the leaders of the two countries.
Han said China and India should approach their relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective and work together to implement the consensus reached by their leaders, state-run Xinhua reported.
He also called for greater strategic mutual trust, expanded cooperation and closer multilateral coordination, while urging both sides to manage their differences and maintain stable relations.
Border dispute remains key issue
The Special Representatives mechanism was established in 2003 to address the India-China boundary dispute, which covers a 3,488-km frontier.
The relationship between the two countries deteriorated sharply after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the subsequent military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Since then, New Delhi and Beijing have taken several steps to ease tensions and stabilise ties.
Although the mechanism has not resolved the boundary dispute, officials on both sides continue to view it as an important channel for addressing tensions and maintaining communication.
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Talks gain significance ahead of Xi's possible India visit
The latest discussions are being held as preparations continue for the BRICS summit in New Delhi, where Xi is expected to attend.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian avoided directly commenting on Xi’s possible India visit when announcing the Special Representatives talks on Monday.
If Xi travels to New Delhi, his visit could provide an opportunity for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit, potentially adding momentum to efforts to improve bilateral relations.
Modi and Xi last met in August 2025 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin.
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China calls talks key channel for border negotiations
Lin described the Special Representatives mechanism as the main channel for negotiations between India and China on the boundary issue and an important platform for discussing matters of mutual interest.
The previous round of talks, held in August last year, saw both sides exchange views on the boundary question and reach several common understandings, according to Lin.
(With PTI inputs)
Published: 25 Aug 2026, 04:09 pm IST
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