China and India held the 25th round of talks between the two countries' special representatives on the boundary question in Beijing on August 25, 2026. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

China and India held the 25th round of talks between the two countries' special representatives on the boundary question in Beijing on Tuesday, during which the two sides had comprehensive, in-depth, friendly and candid communication on the China-India boundary question and bilateral relations, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

The two sides are orderly implementing the consensus reached at the Special Representatives' meetings. Institutional exchanges and cooperation between the two countries are resuming, with both sides committed to maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and China's Special Representative on the Boundary Question between China and India, said at the meeting, Xinhua said. 

The two sides should learn from history, place the boundary question in its proper position within bilateral relations, and continue moving forward without stagnation, regression or deviation from the right course. They should build a positive narrative on China-India border affairs, making dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation the mainstream, and inject positive factors into the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, Wang noted, per Xinhua. 

Also on Tuesday, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Ajit Doval, India's National Security Advisor and Special Representative on the China-India boundary question, in Beijing. 

China and India should view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and work together to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders, Han said, per Xinhua.

The two sides should enhance strategic mutual trust, tap the potential for cooperation, maintain close multilateral coordination, properly manage differences, and promote the sustained and stable development of China-India relations, he said.

As the world's two most populous and fastest-growing major economies, India and China have a historic opportunity for cooperation, Doval said, adding that India stands ready to work with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly address the boundary question and make new progress in bilateral relations.

The role of talks between the special representatives on the boundary question has expanded beyond boundary negotiations. While initially focused on resolving the boundary issue, the mechanism has evolved into an important platform for the two sides to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as major international and regional issues, helping enhance communication and strategic mutual trust, Qian Feng, director of the Research Department at Tsinghua University's National Strategy Institute, told the Global Times. 

Qian said China-India relations have been improving since the meeting between leaders of the two countries at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in 2024.

During the talks, Wang also said China is ready to work with India to approach bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, strengthen communication, enhance mutual understanding, resolve differences and overcome obstacles, so as to be good neighbors and friends, and partners that help each other succeed, and achieve "the dragon and elephant dancing together."

Resolving differences 

India's Economic Times said the talks also come at a time when differences over the border issue continue to figure prominently in India-China bilateral ties. 

While success eluded it in resolving the boundary dispute, officials on both sides regard the structured mechanism as a useful tool in addressing the recurring tensions between the two countries on various fronts, according to the Indian media. 

The boundary question between China and India is a complex historical issue that is difficult to resolve through just a few rounds of talks, Qian admitted.

As long as mechanisms such as the talks between the special representatives continue to function, it shows that both sides are willing to manage and resolve differences through consultation, Qian noted. 

During the latest round of talks on boundary question, Doval noted that under the guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-India relations have returned to the right track, peace and tranquility have been generally maintained in the border areas, and exchanges and cooperation in various fields have steadily advanced, according to Xinhua.

India is ready to further strengthen strategic communication with China, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen multilateral coordination, effectively manage the border areas, explore solutions to the boundary question, and promote the accelerated improvement and development of China-India relations, the Indian official said, Xinhua reported. 

On Tuesday, the two sides also held in-depth discussions on advancing boundary delimitation negotiations, strengthening border management and control, and promoting cross-border cooperation. They reaffirmed that, in accordance with the political guiding principles agreed upon in 2005 and in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding, they will utilize the special representatives' meeting mechanism to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable package solution to the boundary question, according to Xinhua. 

The two sides will continue to properly handle the boundary question through dialogue and consultation and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas. They agreed that 26th round of talks between the two countries' special representatives on the boundary question will be held in India in 2027, Xinhua said. 

The priority regarding the China-India boundary question for the next stage should be to ensure peace and stability in the border areas. The two sides should continue to make use of existing communication mechanisms and create a more favorable atmosphere for resolving the boundary question through consultation by maintaining stability along the border, Qian noted.