China has expressed its readiness to work with India to restore bilateral relations “as soon as possible,” according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. This comes ahead of crucial talks between India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, scheduled for Wednesday in Beijing. These discussions mark the first high-level border talks since December 2019 and are set to take place under the India-China Special Representatives’ framework.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that China is committed to implementing key agreements between the two nations’ leaders, emphasizing respect for each other’s core interests, strengthening mutual trust, and resolving differences through sincere dialogue. The goal, according to the statement, is to stabilize and strengthen bilateral ties, ensuring their healthy development.
Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing for the 23rd Special Representatives meeting with Wang Yi, aimed at addressing the ongoing boundary issue. Notably, since December 2019, discussions between the two officials have focused on multilateral matters rather than border resolution.
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi confirmed that the meeting would focus on “peace and tranquillity in the border areas” and seek a fair, mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question. In October, India and China reached an agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which had been a flashpoint since the border standoff began in May 2020 due to Chinese military actions in eastern Ladakh.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently told Parliament that disengagement in eastern Ladakh has been fully achieved, with the final points of friction, Depsang and Demchok, resolved through a phased process.
The upcoming meeting is crucial as it represents the first structured bilateral dialogue since the border crisis escalated, following the 2019 SRs meeting in Delhi. The SRs mechanism, created in 2003 to address the border dispute, remains a key tool for managing tensions between India and China.
