BEIJING — China and India held their 25th round of talks between special representatives on the boundary question in Beijing on Tuesday, with both sides calling for continued dialogue, improved border management and the further development of bilateral relations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, met with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who represented India as its special representative.
Wang said China and India are important neighbors as well as major developing countries and emerging economies. He stressed that the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations serves the fundamental interests of both countries and reflects the shared aspirations of the Global South.
According to Wang, the significance of China-India relations extends beyond bilateral ties and carries broader global and strategic implications. He said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met twice in recent years, including in Kazan and Tianjin, and reached several important understandings.
Wang said China is willing to strengthen strategic communication and coordination with India, enhance mutual understanding, properly manage differences and overcome obstacles. He called for the two countries to develop a relationship based on good-neighborliness, friendship and mutual benefit.
He also noted that communication and cooperation at various levels between the two countries have resumed, while both sides remain committed to maintaining peace and stability in border areas.
Wang urged the two countries to learn from past experiences and place the boundary issue within the broader framework of bilateral relations. He said Beijing hopes to gradually create a positive environment in which dialogue, peace, negotiations and cooperation remain the dominant trends in addressing the border question.
Doval said India and China are both ancient civilizations with large populations and significant economic strength. He argued that the two countries should view each other as partners rather than competitors.
According to Doval, a stable, predictable and forward-looking relationship between India and China is in the common interest of their peoples and is also important for Asia and the wider world.
Doval said bilateral relations have returned to the right track under the strategic guidance of the two countries’ leaders. He added that overall peace has been maintained along the border and that communication and cooperation in various fields are continuing to advance.
He said India is prepared to work with China to effectively manage border areas and explore a solution to the boundary issue.
During the meeting, the two sides held in-depth discussions on advancing negotiations over the boundary, strengthening border management and expanding cross-border cooperation.
Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to following the political guidelines agreed in 2005 and to working on the basis of mutual respect and understanding.
China and India further agreed to hold the 26th meeting of their special representatives on the boundary question in India in 2027.
COMMENTS