NSA Ajit Doval met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing as New Delhi and Beijing seek to maintain peace along the border and build on recent efforts to stabilise bilateral relations.
India and China discussed ways to strengthen peace and tranquillity in their border areas and improve broader bilateral relations during National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Tuesday, August 25. The meeting comes as the two countries continue high-level diplomatic engagement aimed at stabilising ties after years of tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Doval is in Beijing for a two-day visit and is also holding the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary question with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Special Representatives mechanism remains the principal structured channel for discussions on the long-running boundary dispute.
The latest engagement is significant because India has repeatedly maintained that peace and tranquillity along the border are essential for the broader relationship with China. Beijing has also said the two sides should continue communication on the boundary question in accordance with understandings reached by their leaders and work jointly to safeguard peace in border areas.
Focus on Border Stability
The Doval-Han meeting takes place against the backdrop of continuing differences over the disputed Himalayan boundary, including developments involving Arunachal Pradesh. Relations between New Delhi and Beijing came under severe strain following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the prolonged military stand-off in eastern Ladakh.
Since then, both countries have used diplomatic and military channels to manage tensions. The two sides have also taken steps towards gradually restoring broader engagement, although the boundary dispute itself remains unresolved.
25th Round of Boundary Talks
Doval’s meeting with Han Zheng is taking place alongside the 25th round of the Special Representatives dialogue with Wang Yi. China’s Foreign Ministry said the talks would involve in-depth communication on the boundary question as well as exchanges on bilateral, regional and international issues.
The previous, 24th round of talks was held in August 2025. According to Beijing, the two sides held candid and in-depth discussions during that meeting and reached several common understandings.
India Links Border to Wider Ties
New Delhi has consistently linked the condition of the border with the overall trajectory of India-China relations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently reiterated that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are a prerequisite for good relations between the two countries.
The position reflects India's approach since the 2020 crisis: progress in other areas of the relationship cannot be separated entirely from stability along the LAC.
Gradual Thaw Underway
The latest diplomatic exchanges come amid signs of a gradual improvement in India-China relations. Doval and Wang Yi had also held discussions in New Delhi in June, when the two sides reviewed bilateral developments and noted progress towards gradual normalisation.
However, the recent engagement does not mean that all differences have been resolved. The boundary question remains unsettled, while strategic and political differences continue between the two Asian powers.
BRICS Summit in Focus
The diplomatic engagement also comes ahead of the BRICS summit scheduled to be hosted by India in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the summit, although his visit has not yet been officially confirmed. Reuters reported that preparations were underway for a possible visit, which would be Xi's first trip to India in seven years.
The continuing high-level contacts between the two countries could therefore provide an important channel for managing differences before the summit.
For now, the emphasis from both sides remains on keeping communication open, maintaining peace along the border and preventing unresolved disputes from disrupting the broader relationship. The outcome of the latest Special Representatives talks will offer a clearer indication of whether the recent diplomatic thaw can be sustained.
