India, China agree on early boundary delimitation push in new 8-point consensus

India and China have reached an agreement to enhance cooperation on boundary delimitation and border management in a new eight-point consensus. The Special Representatives from both nations, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, met in Beijing to discuss the matter. The agreement includes establishing two additional meetings between generals and senior military commanders, as well as two border military hotlines in the eastern and middle sectors of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

This move aims to improve border management and reduce misunderstandings. The Special Representatives mechanism, established in 2003 to resolve the border dispute, will focus on advancing discussions on an Early and Substantial Harvest of boundary delimitation and Border Management. They also agreed to address any situation promptly through diplomatic and military channels to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations.

The two sides further agreed to hold a meeting of an Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September to discuss hydrological data sharing and renewing relevant memorandums of understanding. This agreement comes amid reports of a fresh face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh in July. Both countries emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas and fostering a healthy, steady development of bilateral relations.