India-China on the path of peace, agreed on 6 issues to improve relations.

India and China are engaged in strengthening mutual relations. After the patrolling agreement on LAC, both countries have agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. This agreement was reached during the visit of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to China. In the meeting between Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, an agreement was reached on 6 issues to enhance relations between the two countries. India stressed a fair solution to the border dispute with China.

Ajit Doval and Wang Yi held talks focusing on resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, sharing data related to the river and positive direction for cross-border cooperation. However, India's statement regarding the 23rd Special Representative (SR) level talks did not mention the six-point consensus that was made in the Chinese side's statement at the end of the talks.

What did the Foreign Ministry say?

The Ministry of External Affairs said both sides emphasized the need to ensure a peaceful situation on the ground so that border issues do not become an obstacle to the normal development of bilateral relations. The ministry said Doval and Wang agreed on the importance of stable and cordial India-China relations for regional and global peace.

The decision to revive the Special Representative dialogue mechanism was taken during a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan on October 23. Just two days before this, India and China had reached an agreement for the withdrawal of troops in Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the SR reiterated the importance of maintaining the political perspective of the overall bilateral relations while seeking a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable framework for resolving the border issue and resolved to bring more vibrancy to this process. The SR talks took place after a gap of five years. The last round of SR talks was held in New Delhi in December 2019. India's special representative for the talks is NSA Doval, while the Chinese side is led by Foreign Minister Wang.

The Ministry of External Affairs said Doval and Wang positively affirmed the implementation of the October disengagement agreement, which has resulted in resumption of patrolling activities in the relevant areas.

What was said from China's side?

The Chinese statement said that Doval and Wang Yi had a meaningful discussion during the special representative talks and reached a six-point consensus, which includes taking further steps to maintain peace on the borders and promote the healthy and stable development of relations.

According to China's statement, during the first meeting after a gap of five years, both sides positively evaluated the solution reached between the two countries on border issues and reiterated that implementation should continue. According to the statement, both officials believed that the border issue should be handled appropriately in the context of the overall situation of bilateral relations, so that it does not affect the development of relations.

It said that both sides agreed to take steps to maintain peace and stability in the border area and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations. According to the statement, both sides reiterated their commitment to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the border issue in accordance with the political guidelines agreed by the special representatives of the two countries for the resolution of the border issue in 2005 and to take positive steps to promote this process.

It said that both sides assessed the border situation and agreed to further refine the management and control rules in the border area, strengthen confidence building measures and achieve lasting peace and stability on the border. It said that both the countries agreed to strengthen cross-border exchanges and cooperation and to resume the travel of Indian pilgrims to Tibet, China, promote cross-border river cooperation and Nathula border trade.

According to a statement issued by China's Foreign Ministry, the two sides agreed on the need to further strengthen the mechanism of special representatives, enhance diplomatic and military dialogue coordination and cooperation, and make the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs (WMCC) work well in the follow-up implementation of the decisions taken at the meeting of special representatives.

The two sides agreed to hold a new round of meeting of Special Representatives in India next year and the specific timing will be determined through diplomatic channels.

Doval also met the Chinese Vice President

Doval met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng after the talks. Doval also invited Wang to visit India at a mutually convenient date for the next round of Special Representatives meeting. The military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020 and was followed by a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June the same year, resulting in severe tensions in relations between the two neighbours.