NSA Doval, Chinese FM underline importance of maintaining border peace for growth of bilateral ties
New Delhi, Dec 18 (FN Bureau) National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 23d Meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) on the boundary issue in Beijing today during which they underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas to promote overall development of the bilateral relationship. During the meeting, the two SRs “provided positive directions for cross-border cooperation and exchanges including resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on trans-border rivers and border trade”. The meeting between NSA Doval and Wang, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, was held in accordance with the decision taken during the October 23 meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan. The two leaders had directed the SRs 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, a statement said.
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. The SRs positively affirmed the implementation of the latest disengagement agreement of October 2024, resulting in patrolling and grazing in relevant areas. They emphasised the need to ensure peaceful conditions on the ground so that issues on the border do not hold back the normal development of bilateral relations. Drawing on the learnings from the events of 2020, they discussed various measures to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border and advance effective border management. They decided to use, coordinate and guide the relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms towards this purpose. They agreed on the salience of stable, predictable and amicable India-China relations for regional and global peace and prosperity. NSA Doval called on Han Zheng, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China. NSA Doval invited Wang Yi to visit India at a mutually convenient date to hold the next round of SR meeting, the statement added. The talks today followed the October 21 agreement between the two sides on disengagement and resuming patrolling in eastern Ladakh.