India and China discuss resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, border peace during NSA Doval’s Beijing visit

India and China on Wednesday decided to give “positive directions” for cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on trans-border rivers, and border trade, during National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval’s visit to Beijing.

This was announced after the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China, attended by NSA Doval and Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting in Beijing was the first between the Special Representatives since tensions emerged in the Western Sector of the India-China border in 2020. The two representatives met in line with a decision made during the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan, which outlined the future course of meetings to manage peace and tranquillity in border areas and explore a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary issue.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the SRs reiterated the importance of maintaining a political perspective on the overall bilateral relationship while seeking a fair and mutually acceptable framework for resolving the boundary question. They resolved to inject more vitality into this process.

“Both SRs underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas to promote the overall development of the India-China bilateral relationship. 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 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,” read the MEA statement.

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

“The SRs exchanged views on bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest. They provided positive directions for cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on trans-border rivers, and border trade. They agreed on the importance of stable, predictable, and amicable India-China relations for regional and global peace and prosperity,” the statement added.

NSA Doval also invited Wang Yi to visit India at a mutually convenient date to hold the next round of SR meetings. Additionally, Doval called on China’s Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Wednesday.