The 23rd Meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China took place in Beijing on December 18, 2024. The meeting was attended by Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor, and Mr. Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
The SRs met in accordance with the decision taken during the recent meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan for them to meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace & tranquillity in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question.
The SRs reiterated the importance of maintaining a political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship while seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework for the settlement of the boundary question, and resolved to inject more vitality into this process.
This was the first meeting of the SRs since frictions had emerged in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas in 2020. The SRs positively affirmed the implementation of the latest disengagement agreement of October 2024, resulting in patrolling and grazing in relevant areas.
Both SRs underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas to promote overall development of the India-China bilateral relationship. They emphasised the need to ensure peaceful conditions on the ground so that issues on the border do not hold back the normal development of bilateral relations. Drawing on the learnings from the events of 2020, they discussed various measures to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border and advance effective border management. They decided to use, coordinate and guide the relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms towards this purpose.
The SRs exchanged views on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. They provided positive directions for cross-border cooperation and exchanges including resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on trans-border rivers and border trade. The both countries agreed on the salience of stable, predictable and amicable India-China relations for regional and global peace and prosperity.
The meeting reflects a cautious yet constructive approach by both nations to address longstanding border issues while fostering broader bilateral ties. The emphasis on dialogue and cooperation signals an intent to stabilize relations that have been strained since 2020 due to military confrontations.
Ajit Doval invited Mr. Wang Yi to visit India at a mutually convenient date to hold the next round of SR meeting. This meeting underscores both nations’ commitment to resolving ongoing tensions through dialogue while fostering a cooperative relationship that benefits regional stability.
Photo Credit : X
