National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval is set to visit China in the coming weeks to continue discussions on resolving the long-standing border dispute, following the disengagement of forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), sources familiar with the matter said. The two countries are working to finalize the dates for the visit, which could take place either by the end of this year or early January. Doval is expected to travel to Beijing for talks under the Special Representatives mechanism on the border issue.
Doval’s counterpart in the Special Representatives mechanism is Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The two last met in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 12, on the sidelines of a multilateral meeting, where they discussed the arrangements that led to the October 21 agreement on the disengagement of frontline forces at the Demchok and Depsang friction points.
The upcoming meeting will follow several high-level discussions between Indian and Chinese leaders. These include talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in Kazan on October 23, discussions between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, and a meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun in Vientiane on November 20, during the ASEAN Defence Ministers-Plus meeting.
During their meeting, Modi and Xi agreed to revive several mechanisms, including the Special Representatives’ meetings, to address the border issue and improve bilateral relations. Subsequently, the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs met in New Delhi on December 5 and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability on the disputed frontier, in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols. The Special Representatives mechanism was established in 2003 to facilitate discussions on a framework for a boundary settlement. Since then, 22 formal rounds of talks have been held, with the most recent one taking place in 2019. During the military standoff along the LAC that began in April-May 2020, the Special Representatives held several rounds of talks to resolve the deadlock. The standoff, along with the deadly clash at Galwan Valley in June 2020 that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops, severely strained bilateral relations, bringing them to their lowest point since the 1962 border war
