Chinese Foreign Minister to Visit India for Border Talks
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India from August 18-19 for the 24th round of talks on the long-standing boundary dispute. Wang, a member of the Communist Party's Politburo, will meet with his counterpart, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who are the Special Representatives for the dialogue. The high-level meeting aims to continue discussions on resolving border tensions and comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected travel to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Unpacked:
The dispute dates to the 1950s, after China occupied Tibet. Key contested areas are Aksai Chin (west) and Arunachal Pradesh (east). Colonial-era agreements and unilateral actions by both sides, such as map publications and military posts, entrenched disagreements. The issue escalated into war in 1962, with unresolved borders persisting since then.
India claims Aksai Chin as part of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory, based on colonial-era maps. China disputes these claims, arguing that Aksai Chin is historically part of Tibet (now under Chinese control) and does not recognize the McMahon Line as the eastern boundary.
Recent years have seen standoffs such as the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, resulting in casualties on both sides. Increased military deployments and infrastructure development in contested regions have fueled mistrust and frequent confrontations.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit provides a platform for India and China to engage diplomatically, address regional security concerns, and potentially de-escalate tensions. High-level meetings on the sidelines may set the tone for future negotiations on the border issue.