India, China Push Border Stability Before Xi-Modi Talks

India and China have moved to reinforce diplomatic engagement on their unresolved boundary dispute ahead of expected meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit later this month and the BRICS Summit next month.

The two sides agreed to continue using diplomatic and military channels to manage issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), with both emphasising that peace and stability on the border remain essential for the overall development of bilateral ties.

The understanding emerged from the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs, held in New Delhi on August 6.

The mechanism, established in 2012, serves as the principal diplomatic channel for consultations on border management and confidence-building measures.

The Indian delegation was led by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), while the Chinese delegation was headed by Hou Yanqi, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the MEA, the two delegations reviewed the situation along the LAC and held “frank discussions” on outstanding border issues. Both sides agreed that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is a prerequisite for the steady development of India-China relations.

Officials also agreed to continue making use of existing diplomatic and military mechanisms, including the WMCC and meetings between local military commanders, to address pending issues and prevent misunderstandings along the frontier.

The meeting followed the 24th round of Special Representatives’ talks held during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India earlier this year.

Those discussions focused on the long-standing boundary dispute, border management, confidence-building measures and ways to improve coordination between the two countries.

During the Special Representatives’ dialogue, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Wang Yi agreed that the boundary issue should be approached from the perspective of the broader bilateral relationship while working towards a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement in line with the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles.

Although no breakthrough was announced, the latest meeting underscores the gradual restoration of structured engagement between the two neighbours after relations deteriorated sharply following the military standoff in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

Since then, both countries have maintained military and diplomatic contacts while working to disengage forces from several friction points along the LAC.

The resumption of the WMCC and Special Representatives’ dialogue reflects efforts by both sides to stabilise ties even as the larger boundary dispute remains unresolved.

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India also raised the issue of trans-border rivers during the discussions, reiterating its call for the early operationalisation of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers.

New Delhi again urged Beijing to share technical information on upstream infrastructure projects, particularly amid concerns over China’s hydropower development on the Yarlung Zangbo river, which flows into India as the Brahmaputra.

The issue has become increasingly important as China pushes ahead with major hydroelectric projects in Tibet. India has consistently sought greater transparency on such projects, arguing that timely sharing of hydrological and technical data is essential for downstream planning and disaster management.

Modi and Xi are expected to meet on the sidelines of the SCO Summit later this month, with another interaction likely during the BRICS Summit next month. The back-to-back engagements are expected to build on the modest improvement in bilateral ties seen over the past year.

For both governments, maintaining stability along the LAC has become a necessary condition for rebuilding confidence in the wider relationship.

While the boundary dispute remains unresolved, the continued functioning of diplomatic and military dialogue mechanisms suggests both sides are seeking to prevent fresh tensions as political engagement at the highest level gathers pace.