China, India hold 'in-depth and productive' boundary talks
Global Times
China-India relations improve, add new momentum to bringing bilateral ties back onto a healthy and stable track: experts
By Chen Qingqing Published: Aug 19, 2025 10:53 PM
The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had comprehensive, in-depth, and productive communication on the boundary question and bilateral relations on Tuesday as the two sides held the 24th Round of Talks between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China attaches great importance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming participation in the SCO Summit in Tianjin and looks forward to India's contribution to the success of the summit, according to a readout released by the ministry.
The two sides exchanged views on early outcomes of the boundary negotiations and reaffirmed the importance of making full use of the Special Representatives' meeting mechanism, it said.
They agreed to act in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual understanding, in accordance with the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles agreed in 2005, and to explore a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable settlement. At the same time, they will strengthen the regularized management of the border and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas, according to the readout.
The two sides agreed that the 25th Round of Talks between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question will be held in China next year.
Before meeting with Doval, Wang also held talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday in New Delhi. Wang noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India, lessons could be learned from the past, and it is imperative for the two sides to have correct strategic perceptions, view each other as partners and opportunities rather than rivals or threats, and invest their valuable resources in development and revitalization.
China and India should remain confident, move in the same direction, remove barriers, expand cooperation, and consolidate the improvement momentum of bilateral relations, so that revitalization processes of the two great eastern civilizations can be mutually beneficial, providing certainty and stability to Asia and the world at large, Wang said.
The latest interactions indicated that China-India relations are showing signs of further improvement. In handling relations with India, China emphasizes stability, managing differences, and exploring broader areas of cooperation within a framework where competition and cooperation coexist, some Chinese experts said.
The meetings between the Chinese foreign minister and Indian officials demonstrated that China-India relations are improving, adding new momentum to bringing bilateral ties back onto a healthy and stable track, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Wang told Doval that since the beginning of this year, bilateral relations between China and India have entered a steady development track, and the situation along the border has continued to stabilize and improve.
As two major neighbors and developing countries, China and India share similar visions and broad common interests; they should trust and support each other - this is the proper state of relations between two emerging major countries, Wang said.
"In international affairs, China and India share many similar views and common interests. The recent frequent interactions between the two countries, along with growing people-to-people exchanges and expanding economic and trade cooperation, also indicate that the two sides have moved beyond the shadow of the border conflict," Qian said.
Wang also said both sides should follow the strategic guidance of their leaders, uphold the approach of advancing in parallel, reinforcing each other, and creating a virtuous cycle in handling bilateral relations and the boundary question.
Through dialogue and communication, they should enhance mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation, and work together to build consensus, set clear directions, and define objectives in areas such as border management, boundary negotiations, and cross-border exchanges, Wang noted.
By properly addressing specific issues and achieving more positive progress, they can create favorable conditions for the improvement and development of bilateral relations, he said.
For stable, healthy relations
In a readout released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Jaishankar said that as the two largest developing countries, India and China both uphold multilateralism and are committed to promoting a fair and balanced multipolar world, while jointly safeguarding the stability of the global economy.
Stable, cooperative and forward-looking bilateral ties serve the interests of both countries, the Indian Foreign Minister said.
Jaishankar also noted that Taiwan is a part of China. India is willing to take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to deepen political mutual trust with China, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in economy, trade and other fields, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in border areas. India fully supports China in hosting the SCO Tianjin Summit and is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China in BRICS and other multilateral mechanisms.
This visit also serves to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Modi's participation in the SCO Summit, which is an important step in implementing the spirit of the China-India leaders' meeting in Kazan, Tian Guangqiang, an assistant research fellow with the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
During the 24th Round of Talks between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question, Doval said Prime Minister Modi looks forward to visiting China to attend the SCO Summit in Tianjin, believing it will help bring new progress in bilateral relations.
India supports China in successfully hosting the summit as the rotating chair of the SCO, and is ready to maintain communication and dialogue with China in a positive and pragmatic manner, and to steadily build conditions for the final settlement of the boundary question.
"It demonstrates that China-India relations are gradually emerging from the shadow of the 2020 border clashes, steadily resuming exchanges at all levels and across various fields, particularly in terms of strategic communication on border affairs, which is crucial to maintaining the stability of bilateral ties," Tian said.
It also highlights the broad common interests shared by China and India in the face of the US government's unilateralism, especially tariff pressures. The two sides have vast room for cooperation, Tian added.
When asked whether media reports claiming that China has lifted restrictions on rare earth exports to India during the meeting with the India side are accurate and whether this refers to all export licenses or India has been granted an exemption, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Tuesday that she is not aware of the specific media reports mentioned. "Let me say broadly that we stand ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with relevant countries and regions and jointly keep global industrial and supply chains stable," Mao said.
Balancing approach
The Chinese Foreign Minister's visit has also been closely watched by some US media. The New York Times said on Monday that "Trump is pushing India back toward China," as Modi had been moving to "align India with the US and freeze out China. Now, efforts to rebuild ties between the Asian giants are gaining momentum."
Time Magazine said, "India and China's relationship is thawing as the US' ties with India chill under President Donald Trump."
Regarding the viewpoint that "the US is helping India realign with China," Qian believes that the improvement in China-India relations is driven by intrinsic motivation, stemming from the important consensus reached between the two leaders during their meeting in Kazan, which has led to frequent high-level interactions.
The US tariffs have made India realize the limitations of its relationship with the US, prompting India to return to a more strategically autonomous approach with a balanced foreign policy, Qian said, noting that the improvement of China-India relations has inherent momentum, with both sides seeking to move toward a healthier development track.
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