India, China to hold 24th boundary talks before Modi- Xi meet

India and China are set to hold the 24th round of boundary negotiations in New Delhi on August 18, ahead of a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will likely host Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for the discussions, which aim to advance effective border management and maintain peace along the disputed boundary. The talks are expected to lay the groundwork for a Modi–Xi meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, northern China, scheduled from August 31 to September 1,according to information.
Doval and Wang last met on December 18, 2024, in an effort to resolve the decades-old boundary dispute. The negotiations between the two nations’ special representatives began in 2003, leading to the 2005 agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the Boundary Question. However, the process came to a halt in 2020 after aggressive moves by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and counter-deployment by the Indian Army sparked a prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Talks resumed following an October 21 agreement between the Indian Army and the PLA on patrolling protocols in Depsang and Demchok, marking the end of the mutual withdrawal of frontline troops along the LAC. The upcoming round is expected to focus on reinforcing these measures and introducing additional confidence-building steps to prevent future tensions.Meanwhile,officials have indicated that any consensus reached in New Delhi could be formally announced by Modi and Xi during their meeting in Tianjin, potentially signalling a renewed push towards stability in bilateral relations.

(Business Correspondent)