NewsGate Press Network

By Vineet Dikshit

In one of the most fruitful talks ever held on the trick issue of India-China border thaw, the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Special Representatives on LAC in Beijing and made significant headway.

Agreement was reached on restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and resumption of trade across the Nathula Border gates in Sikkim.

In a detailed statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) late on Wednesday night on 18th of December 2024, the 23rd Meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China, respectively Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of India, and Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs took place in Beijing.

The SRs met in accordance with the decision taken during the recent meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan for them to meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace & tranquillity in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question.

The SRs reiterated the importance of maintaining a political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship while seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework for settlement of the boundary question, and resolved to inject more vitality into this process.

This was the first meeting of the SRs since frictions had emerged in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas in 2020.

The SRs positively affirmed the implementation of the latest disengagement agreement of October 2024, resulting in patrolling and grazing in relevant areas.

Both SRs underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas to promote overall development of the India-China bilateral relationship.

Ajit Doval also met Han Zheng, the Chinese Vice President.