Expert Explains | India-China boundary talks: Some progress, but a long road ahead

The article details the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives (SRs) talks, co-chaired by NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which achieved an eight-point consensus. Key outcomes include maintaining peace and tranquillity, advancing negotiations on a boundary settlement framework, and establishing additional military mechanisms and hotlines in the Eastern and Middle sectors. It traces the historical evolution of border management mechanisms like the Joint Working Group (JWG), Expert Group (EG), and Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), alongside confidence-building measures (CBMs) such as Border Personnel Meetings (BPMs) at various locations. The author emphasizes that while progress is welcome, a comprehensive boundary delimitation remains a long and challenging process, requiring patient negotiations.