Modi, Xi Give ‘Clear and Positive Direction’ to India-China ties-NSA Ajit Doval

• NSA Ajit Doval said India-China relations have been steadily returning to normalcy.
• Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 25th round of Special Representatives’ talks.
•  Both sides discussed maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border.
•  Chinese officials called for greater strategic trust, cooperation and proper management of differences.

GG News Bureau

Beijing, August 25: India-China relations have received a fresh diplomatic push, with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have provided a “clear and positive direction” to bilateral ties.

Speaking in Beijing on Tuesday, Doval said relations between the two countries had been “steadily returning to normalcy”, attributing the improvement largely to both sides maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border.

Doval was in Beijing for the 25th round of talks between the Special Representatives of India and China on the boundary question. He held extensive discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister and Politburo member Wang Yi, including a more than 90-minute small-group meeting followed by talks between the larger delegations.

Doval said the latest round of discussions was particularly important ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the September 12 meeting in New Delhi, which would mark his first visit to India in seven years.

Referring to the meetings between Modi and Xi at Kazan in 2024 and Tianjin last year, Doval said the two leaders had provided clear guidance for the relationship. He stressed that preserving peace and tranquillity in the border areas remained central to improving bilateral ties.

Wang Yi said stable and steadily growing relations between India and China served the fundamental interests of both countries and were also important for the wider Global South. He called for stronger communication, greater mutual trust and efforts to remove obstacles affecting bilateral relations.

According to Wang, both countries had made progress in implementing understandings reached during earlier Special Representatives’ talks on issues including boundary delimitation, border management, institutional mechanisms and cross-border cooperation.

He said the latest meeting would allow both sides to deepen discussions on shared interests, properly manage the boundary question and create fresh momentum for bilateral relations.

Earlier, Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng also met Doval and urged both countries to approach their relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective. He called for greater strategic trust, expanded cooperation, closer multilateral coordination and effective management of differences.

The latest diplomatic engagement signals continued efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise ties after years of tensions along the disputed border.