The 25th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question was held in Beijing on August 25, making significant progress towards resolving the key outstanding issue between Asia’s two biggest developing countries.
The talks were headed by China’s Special Representative, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India’s Special Representative and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. They were described as comprehensive, in-depth, friendly and candid, and besides the boundary question included bilateral relations as well as other issues.
Wang Yi noted that China and India are important neighbours to each other, and both are major developing countries and representatives of emerging economies. A sound and steady development of China-India relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples, meets the common aspiration of Global South countries, and conforms to the trend of the times. The China-India relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and bears global and strategic significance. In recent years, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held two meetings in Kazan and Tianjin [at the 2024 and 2025 summit meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) respectively], reaching a series of important common understandings that charted the course for the improvement and development of bilateral relations. The two sides should draw lessons from history, place the boundary question in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, keep moving forward without stagnation, regression or deviation, and gradually foster a positive narrative on China-India boundary affairs, making dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation the mainstream, so as to inject positive factors into the sound and steady development of bilateral relations.
Ajit Doval said that India and China are both ancient civilisations, populous countries and major economies, and are cooperative partners rather than competitors. A stable, predictable and forward-looking India-China relationship serves the common interests of the two peoples and is of great significance to Asia and the world at large. India is ready to work with China to further intensify strategic communication, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen multilateral coordination, effectively manage the border areas, explore solutions to the boundary question, and promote faster improvement and development of India-China relations.
The two sides agreed the Eight Points of Outcomes and Consensus for the 25th Round of Talks Between Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question.
Ajit Doval also met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on the same day.
Han said that China and India should view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and work together to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders. The two sides should enhance strategic mutual trust, tap the potential for cooperation, maintain close multilateral coordination, properly manage differences, and promote the sustained and stable development of China-India relations.
Doval said that as the world’s two most populous and fastest-growing major economies, India and China have a historic opportunity for cooperation, adding that 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 following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and by the Xinhua News Agency.
Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question Hold Talks in Beijing
August 25 (MFA) – On August 25, 2026, the 25th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question was held in Beijing. China’s Special Representative, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi had comprehensive, in-depth, friendly and candid communication with India’s Special Representative and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the China-India boundary question and bilateral relations, among others.
Wang Yi noted that China and India are important neighbors to each other, and both are major developing countries and representatives of emerging economies. A sound and steady development of China-India relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples, meets the common aspiration of Global South countries, and conforms to the trend of the times. The China-India relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and bears global and strategic significance. In recent years, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held two meetings in Kazan and Tianjin, reaching a series of important common understandings that charted the course for the improvement and development of bilateral relations. China is ready to work with India to view and handle the bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, strengthen communication, enhance mutual understanding, resolve differences and overcome obstacles, so as to be good-neighborly friends and partners that help each other succeed, and engage in a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant.
Wang Yi stated that the two sides are implementing in an orderly manner the common understandings reached at the Special Representatives’ talks. Bilateral institutional exchanges and cooperation are gradually resuming, with both sides committed to safeguarding peace and tranquility in the border areas. The two sides should draw lessons from history, place the boundary question in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, keep moving forward without stagnation, regression or deviation, and gradually foster a positive narrative on China-India boundary affairs, making dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation the mainstream, so as to inject positive factors into the sound and steady development of bilateral relations.
Ajit Doval said that India and China are both ancient civilizations, populous countries and major economies, and are cooperative partners rather than competitors. A stable, predictable and forward-looking India-China relationship serves the common interests of the two peoples and is of great significance to Asia and the world at large. Under the guidance of the two leaders, India-China relations have returned to the right track, with overall tranquility maintained in the border areas and exchanges and cooperation in various fields steadily advanced. India is ready to work with China to further intensify strategic communication, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen multilateral coordination, effectively manage the border areas, explore solutions to the boundary question, and promote faster improvement and development of India-China relations.
The two sides had in-depth discussions on advancing boundary delimitation negotiations, properly managing and controlling the border, improving relevant mechanisms and promoting cross-border cooperation. They reiterated that, in accordance with the political parameters and guiding principles agreed in 2005, and in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual understanding, they will give full play to the Special Representatives mechanism to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable package solution to the boundary question. The two sides will continue to properly handle the boundary question through dialogue and consultation, and jointly uphold peace and tranquility in the border areas. The two sides agreed to hold the 26th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question in India in 2027.
The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common interest.
Eight Points of Outcomes and Consensus for the 25th Round of Talks Between Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question
August 26 (MFA) – On August 25, 2026, the 25th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives (SR) of China and India on the Boundary Question was held in Beijing, China. H.E. Wang Yi, Special Representative of China, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Ajit Doval, Special Representative of India and National Security Advisor, had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the China-India boundary question and reached eight points of outcomes and consensus as follows:
- The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the guidance received from the leaders of the two countries, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and create an atmosphere for healthy and steady development of bilateral relations.
- The two sides underlined their commitment to advancing negotiations on a framework for the settlement of the boundary question in accordance with the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the China-India Boundary Question signed in 2005 and the consensus reached in subsequent SR talks, in pursuit of a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution.
- The Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and Working Group on Border Management under the WMCC would respectively advance discussions on an Early and Substantial Harvest of boundary delimitation and Border Management. The first task for both these groups would be to agree on their respective Terms of Reference.
- The two sides agreed that any situation on the ground would be addressed promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander-level meetings and other agreed mechanisms, to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the LAC. The two sides discussed ways to improve understanding of the LAC in appropriate areas for better border management.
- With the objective to improve the border management measures, an additional two meeting points were agreed for holding the General Level Mechanism/Senior Highest Military Commander meeting (SHMC). Similarly two additional channels of border military hotline in the Eastern and Middle Sectors were agreed.
- Both sides noted the progress on trans-border cooperation. The Indian side appreciated the efforts made by the Chinese side to increase the number of batches of Indian official pilgrimage to Mount Gang Renpoche and Lake Mapam Yun Tso in Xizang Autonomous Region of China. Both sides appreciated the reopening of the three designated border trading points. The two sides agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in border trade, pilgrimage and other areas, with the view of working together to create an atmosphere featuring dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation in the border areas.
- The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the China-India Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September and maintain communication on issues including hydrological data sharing, and renewal of relevant MoUs.
- The two sides agreed to hold the 26th Round of SR Talks in India in 2027.
Chinese vice president meets Indian National Security Advisor
BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor and Special Representative on the China-India boundary question, in Beijing on Tuesday.
China and India should view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and work together to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders, Han said.
The two sides should enhance strategic mutual trust, tap the potential for cooperation, maintain close multilateral coordination, properly manage differences, and promote the sustained and stable development of China-India relations, he said.
As the world’s two most populous and fastest-growing major economies, India and China have a historic opportunity for cooperation, Doval said, adding that India stands ready to work with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly address the boundary question and make new progress in bilateral relations.
