India, China to Hold 25th Round of Border Talks as Doval Heads to Beijing
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is set to arrive in Beijing on Monday for the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives (SR) talks on the boundary issue. He will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his designated counterpart, on Tuesday, according to official sources.
The SR talks are part of a mechanism established in 2003 to seek a comprehensive resolution of the India-China border dispute, which spans approximately 3,488 km. While the mechanism has not produced a final settlement, both sides regard it as an important channel for managing tensions and addressing differences. The upcoming meeting comes ahead of the expected visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India for the BRICS summit in New Delhi, scheduled for September 12-13. Beijing has not yet officially confirmed Xi's participation, but officials on both sides remain optimistic. If he attends, it could pave the way for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the future of bilateral ties.
Doval and Wang last met in August 2025 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The frequency of their meetings underscores the importance both capitals place on maintaining dialogue despite unresolved differences.
The India-China border issue remains a significant challenge. In June 2020, a violent clash in the Galwan Valley resulted in casualties on both sides, leading to a sharp deterioration in relations. Since then, the two countries have engaged in multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks to achieve disengagement at friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The SR talks are part of this broader effort to stabilise the situation.
Ahead of the Beijing meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated on Saturday that peace and tranquillity along the border are essential for good relations between India and China. Earlier this month, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India views border issues with China as "most serious" and stressed that maintaining peace along the LAC is of "utmost importance." He added that the situation on the frontier would determine the overall trajectory of India-China relations.
The talks also take place amid a dispute over the naming of geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh. India recently assigned official names to 27 places and geographical features in the state. China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of "South Tibet," has issued its own set of names for places in the region, a practice it has followed since 2017. India has rejected China's criticism, asserting that Arunachal Pradesh is an "inalienable and integral" part of India. The External Affairs Ministry dismissed China's naming actions as "vain and preposterous," stating that such measures cannot alter the "undeniable" reality that the state "was, is, and will" always remain an integral part of India.
The upcoming SR talks are expected to focus on maintaining peace along the LAC and exploring ways to prevent further incidents. Both sides have emphasised the importance of dialogue in resolving their differences peacefully.
