Drawing lines: On the India-China 25th Special Representatives’ talks

On Tuesday, India and China's Special Representatives engaged in talks regarding the disputed border. On Wednesday, an eight-point consensus emerged, marking substantial progress in managing the border. Both nations agreed to expedite discussions on delimiting the border and set a meeting for an expert-level mechanism on trans-border rivers for next month.

Communication on sharing hydrological data, a demand of India, has been maintained. Additionally, two further meetings involving top military commanders and two new hotlines in the Eastern and Middle Sectors are planned. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the efforts made over the past two years to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control, pledging to continue normalization in relations.

The visit of Doval to Beijing was timed before India hosts the BRICS Summit, signaling a continued desire for engagement, with a visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping expected in September 2024. This commitment to high-level interactions is crucial for maintaining the process of normalization. The established tracks of Special Representatives' meetings and the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on border affairs have effectively kept the borders stable over the past two years.

However, it remains unclear how each side plans to proceed with border delimitation, as they have not disclosed which sections they intend to delimit or if they are reconsidering the 2005 agreement. While both sides reaffirmed the 2005 agreement, Article 10 of its text emphasizes that it is only through a framework that the boundary can be delineated.

Despite these positive developments, agreements reached without public visibility may raise suspicions. As India and China continue their negotiations, it is important for them to involve their respective publics.