National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, serving as India's Special Representative on the India-China Boundary Question, met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday, 25 August for the 25th Round of Special Representatives Talks on the boundary issue. The two sides agreed to continue working toward a political settlement of the boundary question, guided by the overall and long-term interests of both nations.

Key Developments from the Beijing Talks

The discussions were described as 'comprehensive, in-depth, friendly, and candid' by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Both sides reviewed progress made in implementing the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summits in Kazan in October 2024 and Tianjin in August 2025.

The two sides also expressed satisfaction at the steady resumption of people-to-people and cross-border exchanges, specifically citing the ongoing Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and border trade through three designated border trading passes.

What India Said

According to the MEA statement issued after the meeting, both Special Representatives held their exchange 'in a constructive and forward-looking spirit' and 'agreed to continue their work in seeking a political settlement of the boundary question in the context of their overall and long-term interests.'

The statement further noted: 'The Indian side highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas for the continued development and progress of the bilateral relationship.'

The two sides also discussed bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest during the course of the meeting.

What China Said

Wang Yi, who also serves as Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission and a Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, framed the relationship in broader strategic terms. According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi described China and India as 'important neighbours and representatives of major developing countries and emerging economies.'

Wang Yi was quoted as saying: 'The healthy and stable development of China-India relations is in the fundamental interests of both peoples, meets the common aspirations of countries in the Global South, and aligns with the trend of the times. China-India relations have transcended the bilateral scope and possess global and strategic significance.'

He further stated that China is 'willing to work with India to grasp bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, strengthen communication, enhance understanding, eliminate differences, overcome obstacles, and be good-neighbourly and friendly friends and mutually beneficial partners, achieving a harmonious coexistence between the dragon and the elephant.'

Doval's Other Engagements in Beijing

NSA Doval was on a two-day visit to Beijing at the invitation of Wang Yi. In addition to the formal boundary talks, he called on Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng on Tuesday — a meeting that signals the diplomatic engagement extended beyond technical boundary discussions to the broader bilateral relationship.

Context and What Comes Next

The 25th Round of Special Representatives talks follows a period of gradual diplomatic thaw after the prolonged standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) triggered by the Galwan Valley clash of June 2020. The Modi-Xi meetings in Kazan and Tianjin had already set the tone for a structured re-engagement, and Tuesday's talks represent a continuation of that framework. Notably, the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra — suspended for years — is being cited as a concrete confidence-building measure. Whether the two sides can translate diplomatic warmth into a durable boundary settlement remains the central question as talks enter their next phase.