Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed his willingness to collaborate with India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to “properly handle” issues related to the situation on the ground in the border areas, amid the ongoing border dispute in eastern Ladakh.
In a congratulatory message to Doval on his reappointment as NSA and Special Representative for the India-China boundary question, Wang emphasized the significant global importance of the China-India relationship, which extends beyond bilateral concerns.
Wang, who also serves as China’s Special Representative for the India-China border talks mechanism, highlighted the readiness to work with Doval to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries. He stressed the importance of managing the situation on the ground and maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas, according to a report by the state-run Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.
Wang’s message followed his recent meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. This was the first high-level interaction between Indian and Chinese officials since the formation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 3.0 government after the recent general elections in India.
Established in 2003 to address the complex India-China border dispute, the Special Representatives mechanism is co-headed by India’s NSA and the Chinese Foreign Minister. Despite 19 meetings, the mechanism has yet to achieve a comprehensive resolution, though it has been instrumental in managing recurring tensions.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly since the eastern Ladakh border standoff began on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Tso (lake) area near Galwan. Since then, 21 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks have been held to resolve the standoff, with the 22nd meeting scheduled.
The Chinese military reports that both sides have agreed to disengage from four points: Galwan Valley, Pangong Lake, Hot Springs, and Jianan Daban (Gogra) in eastern Ladakh. However, India is urging the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to disengage from the Depsang and Demchok areas, insisting that normalcy in bilateral relations cannot be restored as long as the borders remain tense.
China maintains that the boundary issue should not define the entirety of China-India relations and advocates for it to be managed appropriately within the broader context of bilateral ties.
