Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held wide-ranging discussions in New Delhi on Tuesday. He met National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in the morning and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day.
Talks between Wang and Doval centred on restoring border stability and injecting new momentum into India-China ties. NSA Doval underlined the importance of these engagements in the run-up to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. Both sides acknowledged that past setbacks had not served mutual interests.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, who also met Wang, reiterated that peace along the border remains a prerequisite for any substantive improvement in relations. The Chinese side, meanwhile, agreed to address India’s concerns on issues ranging from fertilisers and rare earths to tunnel boring machines.
BharatShakti Editor-in-Chief Nitin Gokhale, commenting on the talks, described them as a “breakthrough” with “major decisions on the protracted boundary issue, apart from several positive takeaways.”
Key Outcomes and Takeaways
According to highlights shared by Gokhale on X, the following developments emerged:
- Early Harvest on Border Delimitation
Both sides discussed an “early harvest” approach in the delimitation of border areas. This could involve exchanging maps of the less contentious Middle Sector—something attempted briefly in 2002 but never pursued further. A newly agreed expert group mechanism may now revive this process.
- Higher-Level Military Engagement
For the first time, three-star generals will engage in talks not only in the Western (Ladakh) sector but also in the Eastern and Middle sectors. On the Indian side, this could involve Corps Commanders from 3, 4, or 33 Corps in the east, and potentially the Uttar Bharat Area Commander in the middle sector.
- New Border Management Protocols
A working group under the WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination) will examine the formulation of fresh protocols for border management.
- Border Trade Resumption
Border trade is set to restart from designated points.
- Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
The number of Indian pilgrims permitted for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will increase from 2026.
- Trans-Border Rivers Cooperation
Both sides reaffirmed cooperation under the India-China Expert Level Mechanism on Trans-Border Rivers. China agreed to share hydrological data during emergencies on humanitarian grounds.
- Brahmaputra Concerns
India raised strong objections to China’s construction of a mega dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), underscoring the need for maximum transparency given its implications for downstream states.
- Taiwan Issue
China flagged concerns on Taiwan. India reiterated there is no change in its position, clarifying that its relationship with Taiwan, focused on economic, technological, and cultural ties, will continue, just as Beijing maintains similar engagements.
Major decisions between India and China on the protracted boundary issue apart from several positive takeaways in Wang Yi’s talks with NSA Ajit Doval and EAM S. Jaishankar. Lots to unpack but here are the main highlights.
1. What does early harvest in the delimitation in… pic.twitter.com/qjqZlmW80F
— Nitin A. Gokhale (@nitingokhale) August 19, 2025
Following the 24th round of Special Representatives’ talks with NSA Doval, Wang Yi also called on Prime Minister Modi, handing over a personal message and invitation from President Xi Jinping to attend the SCO Summit in Tianjin later this month. Modi accepted, and a bilateral meeting with Xi is now expected on the summit sidelines, the first such encounter since Galwan in 2020.
Sharing insights into the SR-level talks, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong wrote on ‘X’: “Since the beginning of this year, bilateral ties have returned to a steady path of development, and the border situation has continued to stabilize and improve. Both sides should enhance mutual trust through dialogue, expand exchanges and cooperation, and work toward reaching a consensus on issues such as border management, boundary negotiations, and cross-border exchanges. The two sides should also properly address specific issues, achieve more positive progress, and continuously create enabling conditions for the improvement and development of bilateral relations.”
🔹Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and India’s National Security Adviser Shri Ajit Doval held the 24th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question in New Delhi.
🔹Since the beginning of this… pic.twitter.com/alASEOTdIe
— Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_India) August 19, 2025
Team BharatShakti
