NSA Doval arrives in Beijing for 25th round of India-China boundary talks
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday (August 24, 2026) for the 25th round of Special Representatives (SR) talks on the India-China boundary question. The two-day visit is seen as a significant step in the ongoing efforts to stabilise bilateral relations, coming ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's expected visit to India for the BRICS Summit next month.
Mr. Doval will meet Politburo member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his SR counterpart, on Tuesday (August 25, 2026). He will also call on Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
At a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the talks would feature "in-depth communication on the boundary question". He said the SR talks are "the main channel for negotiations between China and India on the boundary question, and also an important platform for communication between the two sides on issues of mutual interest".
"In August last year, China and India successfully held the 24th round of talks during which the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the boundary question and reached a number of common understandings. During this round of talks, the two sides will continue the in-depth communication on the boundary question in the spirit of the common understandings between leaders of the two countries to jointly keep the border areas peaceful and tranquil," Mr. Lin said.
The spokesperson added that the two sides would also exchange views on bilateral relations, as well as international and regional issues.
The talks are part of a broader effort to normalise ties, which were severely strained after a violent clash between soldiers in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. Since then, India and China have held multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks to resolve the standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The relationship received a significant boost after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. That meeting helped set the stage for a step-by-step normalisation of relations.
Earlier this month, officials from both sides met under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs. They reviewed the situation along the LAC and held "detailed exchanges on issues related to boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism-building and trans-border cooperation", according to a joint statement.
At the previous round of SR talks in August 2025, the two sides agreed to set up an Expert Group under the WMCC to explore "Early Harvest" measures for boundary delimitation in specific areas. That agreement was seen as a move towards incremental progress on the broader boundary question.
India and China share a nearly 3,500-km-long border, commonly referred to as the Line of Actual Control. The two countries have held a series of talks over the decades, but no mutually agreed solution has been reached thus far. The SR talks are seen as a platform to build political trust and explore an early settlement.
The SR mechanism, established in 2003, is the highest-level official forum dedicated to resolving the boundary dispute. The forthcoming round takes place amid preparations for the BRICS Summit in India on September 12, where President Xi is expected to participate in person.
The outcome of the talks will be closely watched for its impact on border tranquillity and the overall trajectory of India-China relations, as both countries seek to manage their differences while expanding cooperation in other areas.
